story_id
stringlengths 60
60
| story_text
stringlengths 120
11.8k
| question
stringlengths 5
721
| answer_token_ranges
stringlengths 3
271
|
|---|---|---|---|
./cnn/stories/51d5c7786d3b05107e045e0179f0f3deea160e5e.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Taiwan 's economy slumped 8.36 percent during the last three months of 2008 , the government said Wednesday . People line up to receive $ 108 U.S. dollars worth of shopping vouchers in Taipei , Taiwan , last month . The island 's economy spiraled into recession with its second straight quarter of economic losses . For the third quarter of 2008 , Taiwan 's real gross domestic product -LRB- GDP -RRB- , adjusted for inflation , slipped about 1 percent , according to the Directorate General of Budget , Accounting and Statistics . Behind the dismal economic numbers is a global recession that is sapping demand for the products Taiwan makes . `` The types of exports that Taiwan ships to the West -- electronics -- are very severely affected , very sensitive to changes in Western consumer sentiment , '' said Frederic Neumann , a senior Asian economist for HSBC . The GDP numbers are the broadest measure of Taiwan 's economic activity . A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of falling GDP . Taiwan 's central bank , in a move to boost the economy , on Wednesday dropped its key interest rate one-quarter point , to 1.25 percent . Since the end of 2007 , the central bank has lowered rates by more than 2 percent . In January , the Taiwanese government offered the island 's residents up to $ 108 each to go shopping , in another attempt to stimulate the economy . More than 90 percent of those eligible took up the offer , pumping about TW $ 86 billion -LRB- $ 2.6 billion -RRB- into the economy and sending shoppers to malls , officials said . | How many straight quarters of losses were there ? | 53:54 |
./cnn/stories/a5668c3aa5662177e0d73c00764de9ec6a177825.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- No one expected them to live long . A glass tree at the University of Miami commemorates those who died from complications of HIV/AIDS . Many of their peers succumbed to unusual infections by their first or second birthdays . They were living on borrowed time , it seemed . While their friends ' parents visited schools , these kids visited their parents ' graves . When their classmates planned for the future , they often thought about death . But those babies who were born with HIV/AIDS in the 1980s have defied initial expectations . With advances in medicine , the babies born with what was once thought of as a sure-fatal virus have danced at their high school proms , walked on stage to receive their diplomas and even experienced the birth of their children . `` It 's a battle -- not because the HIV is going to defeat us , '' said Quintara Lane , a 22-year-old student with long braids . `` It 's more of what we have to go through to take care of ourselves . '' Lane is part of a generation that was born with the virus . Since the mid-1990s in developed countries , antiretroviral drugs have largely prevented mothers from transmitting HIV/AIDS to their babies . A new kind of family On a warm Florida Friday , boys in high-tops and loose jeans hanging from their thighs greet one another with a nod and then a slap on the hand . They tease relentlessly . Others pay little attention , listening to music blasting through their earbuds or texting so quickly that their thumbs appear a blur on pink , sparkly phones . See more photos . '' Nearly 30 young adults and teenagers who were born with HIV/AIDS meet every week at the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami , Florida . `` The teens are teenagers , '' said Ana Garcia , an adjunct assistant professor in pediatric infectious disease and immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine who helped form the group . `` They just happen to have HIV . It 's about fitting in , being normal , and having goals and living long enough to meet them . '' The group of HIV-positive teens , which calls itself the Kool Kids , formed in 1995 . The youth who grew up with HIV/AIDS describe the usual complications of adolescence -- dating , high school drama and rumors . But they also experienced broken families , medical complications and fights for acceptance . As their parents and family members died , the peer group here became a new family , Garcia said . Over an hour of joking , merciless teasing and eating Chinese food , the teens scarcely mention HIV/AIDS . It 's a fellowship that silently understands one another 's struggles . `` We do n't want to talk about HIV every day , '' said Eric Koumbou , 19 . `` If you talk about HIV and you do n't have it and I do , sometimes it makes me angry or makes me sad . '' Even if they do n't talk about it , it helps a young person with HIV who may think , `` This is the end of my life . I do n't know what to do , '' said Lane , who joined when she was 11 . The older teens support the younger ones and show that HIV/AIDS does n't consume one 's life . Quintara Lane Lane was raised by her grandmother after her mother left her at the hospital . More than two decades ago , `` The families frequently lacked hope , '' said Dr. Gwendolyn Scott , director of Pediatric Infectious Disease and Immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , who treated the newborns . `` Many times , the parents died when children were at a young age . '' As a child , Lane understood she had to take `` vitamins '' -- two dozen antiretroviral pills chopped into pieces and taken with orange juice every day . The pills made her nauseated and gave her headaches and skin rashes . Side effects of taking the medications can include gastrointestinal problems , weight gain , neuropathy and other symptoms . `` I did n't want to take the medicine , '' Lane recalled . She lied to her grandmother about taking them for nearly two years . `` I could say I took 'em when I did n't . Being around friends , I did n't want to take them and I did n't want them to ask questions . '' After fainting from a decimated immune system at the age of 12 , Lane started to understand the gravity of her situation . But questions and the anger occasionally surfaced . `` Why did I get it ? '' Lane would ask . `` All these questions of why , why , why -- all that anger makes this worse . Dealing with school , relationships , dealing with life -- it could be overwhelming . But I try to look at the best of everything and not dwell so much on myself . '' Lane counsels other young adults who have new HIV diagnoses , answering questions about how HIV/AIDS affects dating and how to handle the medications . Young patients with HIV/AIDS often get pill fatigue , Garcia said . `` It makes me different . I feel sick . I 'm allergic to them , '' they tell her . Some of her young patients died because they stopped taking the pills . `` There are kids who are set with , ' I do n't want to be in this world . I want to be with my mother or I want to be with my father , ' or they do n't care , '' she said . `` It does n't matter what you offer them . So it 's very complicated to move through that -- sometimes you run out of time . '' The next generation Over the years , the number of pills required to treat HIV/AIDS has dwindled significantly . But , it 's not the physical side effects that bother patients . `` I 'm only reminded of it when I have to take medication , '' said a 28-year-old with HIV who asked to be identified only as `` Mike . '' `` That 's what we do . That 's our lives . '' Mike contracted HIV after receiving a contaminated blood transfusion as a newborn . `` I was n't promised to live on Earth long enough , '' he said . `` At times , I 'd think about suicide and think ` Why me ? Why would the doctor give me dirty blood ? ' I come to realize that it 's no one 's fault . '' He joined the HIV support group as a teenager . There , he met his wife , who had contracted the virus from her mother . Their primary focus now is raising their 5-year-old daughter , a petite , shy girl with wavy brown curls . This newest generation of children born to HIV-positive parents has a different fate . `` My wife took her medicine to reduce chances of our daughter being infected with the virus , '' Mike said . `` By the grace of God and praying , my daughter is HIV-negative . '' | what is curbed through medicine ? | 215:220 |
./cnn/stories/25291a0e388dd6047576d7ba1f751f277e5f1397.story | LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dr. Conrad Murray , the physician under investigation in the death of singer Michael Jackson , said in a video posted online Tuesday that he has `` faith the truth will prevail . '' In Dr. Conrad Murray 's video , posted on YouTube , he tells supporters he has been receiving their messages . Murray , who was with Jackson when he died , recorded the one-minute video in Houston , Texas , on Wednesday and it posted on YouTube Tuesday , the spokeswoman for his lawyer said . `` I have done all I could do , '' Murray said . `` I told the truth , and I have faith the truth will prevail . '' The video is the first public comment by Murray since Jackson 's June 25 death . `` I want to thank all of my patients and friends who have sent such kind e-mails , letters and messages to let me know of your support and prayers for me and my family , '' Murray said . Watch the statement from Jackson 's doctor '' `` Because of all that is going on , I am afraid to return phone calls or use my e-mail . Therefore , I recorded this video to let all of you know that I have been receiving your messages , '' he said . Murray , a cardiologist , owned and operated two medical clinics -- in Las Vegas , Nevada , and in Houston -- but he took a full-time job as Jackson 's personal doctor in May as the pop singer prepared for his comeback concerts scheduled to start in July . He was at Jackson 's Los Angeles home when the entertainer was found unconscious and rushed to a hospital . Investigators have searched Murray 's home and clinics for evidence related to the anesthetic propofol , according to documents filed in court . A source close to the investigation told CNN that Murray is believed to have administered the drug -- also known by the brand name Diprivan -- to Jackson within 24 hours of his death . Murray has been `` under siege '' by the media and targeted by death threats in recent weeks , according to the spokeswoman . `` I have not been able to thank you personally , which , as you know , is not normal for me , '' Murray said in the video . `` Your messages give me strength and courage and keep me going . They mean the world to me . Please , do n't worry . As long as I keep God in my heart and you in my life , I will be fine . '' | Who did Michael 's Jackson 's doctor thank in video ? | 148:164 |
./cnn/stories/21a3bf331defe8b1ab9dbadbdf2ca912af11a3f0.story | WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police arrested a man near the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday after he drove up to one of the building 's barricades with a rifle in his vehicle and told officers that he had a delivery for President Obama , a Senate spokesman said . A man drove to the Capitol with a rifle and said he had a delivery for President Obama , police said . Sgt. Kimberly Schneider identified the man as Alfred Brock , 64 , of Winnfield , Louisiana . She said Brock was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm and unregistered ammunition . Brock drove up to the north barricade at the Capitol late Tuesday afternoon , saying he had a delivery for the president , Schneider said . After further questioning , he admitted he had a rifle in his truck . He was arrested and taken to police headquarters for processing , she said . A search of his truck turned up several rounds of ammunition , Schneider said . Police also checked the area around the barricade , but found nothing hazardous . Threats against Obama have led to arrests in previous cases . In one , federal prosecutors concluded that three people arrested with drugs and weapons in a suburban Denver , Colorado , motel posed a `` true threat '' to Obama during the Democratic National Convention . In the second , a Florida man was charged with threatening bodily harm against the then-candidate in August . He has pleaded not guilty . | Who was transported to Capitol Hill ? | 78:80 |
./cnn/stories/f934eefdbaec83d316bd84c2f27ead6b096b9fb1.story | Cape Town , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As natural habitats disappear in South Africa , baboons and humans are increasingly coming into close contact , and conflict . In South Africa 's Cape Peninsula there has been a large-scale transformation of wild baboons ' natural habitat into land for housing , industry and agriculture , according to the University of Cape Town Baboon Research Unit . The result is that wild baboons are surrounded by humans , which the researchers say is causing human-baboon conflict to escalate . But the problem is n't confined only to the Cape , as baboons are increasingly venturing into towns and villages across southern Africa in search of food , often leaving a trail of damage in their wake . In the farming village of Barrydale , a four-hour drive from Cape Town , baboons are a growing problem . While some local farmers say they want to shoot baboons found in the village , others favor a more sustainable solution . Report : Central African gorillas may go extinct Jenny Trethowan , of advocacy group Baboon Matters , is known as the `` Baboon Lady '' back in Cape Town . She has spent her career trying to protect the primates in the Cape Peninsula , of which there are more than 400 . In Barrydale , she sees an opportunity to tackle the problem before it gets out of hand . `` What is so exciting about the Barrydale scenario is the fact that they are being extremely proactive , '' Trethowan told CNN . `` In many of the other areas it 's been a long time , where baboons have become habituated and trained . Now in Barrydale they are saying ` let 's stop this behavior quickly before it gets started , ' and that 's enormously exciting for me . '' Trethowan has pinned her hopes on implementing a baboon-monitoring program in the village . At the Joshua Baboon Rehabilitation Project , just outside Barrydale , Baboon Matters is training locals to be baboon monitors . The monitors are tasked with patrolling Barrydale and herding baboons away from homes and farms . `` If we can get the monitoring program going quickly before the baboons are habituated I believe we stand a good chance of success here , '' said Trethowan . Nola Frazier runs the Joshua Baboon Rehabilitation Project and supports the village 's monitoring program . `` I do n't think the baboon problem is going to go away , '' Frazier told CNN . `` It 's a learning curve . It 's something that 's happening here ; it 's happening all over South Africa . '' An existing monitoring program on the Cape is yielding benefits . Statistics from the Baboon Research Unit show human-induced injuries to baboons are at their lowest for five years . Deaths are also down , and the baboon population is up , which means encounters with humans are more likely . African football academy creates future stars When she 's not helping to run monitoring programs , Trethowan takes tourists on walks around the Cape Peninsula to see baboons in what she hopes will be their natural habitat . But despite the monitors ' best efforts , the baboons sometimes stray from their natural environment . The smell of cooking , and windows left open , are practically an invitation to hungry baboons , whose food raids can result in damage to property . `` When I take people to walk , I never describe baboons as something they are not , '' said Trethowan . `` They do cause incredible damage , and the ideal thing would be for them to be on the mountain and not in the village . `` The monitors can struggle without a doubt . What 's frustrating to me is to see the residents make little effort to help the monitors . If they were working with the monitors more , the monitors would be more efficient . '' When it comes to taking on one of the continent 's most opportunistic animals , researchers and advocates say there are no easy answers . `` Baboons are definitely incredibly opportunistic and incredibly adaptable , so from a management point of view it makes it incredibly difficult , '' said Trethowan . But she said it 's these same characteristics that drew her into a life of advocacy for baboons . `` It is hugely amazing to watch how these baboons will adapt to a situation and will seize an opportunity and work with whatever they 've got , '' she told CNN . `` I think we 've got a lot to learn from them , in hopes of showing more people the positives in an animal so often labeled a problem . '' Robyn Curnow and Mark Tutton contributed to this report | What are causing conflict ? | 39:56 |
./cnn/stories/0540e8c4d7afd0dd356bfe8286b9a50bfded9b54.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- She 's been called `` America 's mom . '' Strangers stop her for hugs in the airport . And she still dishes up kindly parental wisdom daily in reruns of `` The Brady Bunch . '' `` Brady Bunch '' actress Florence Henderson founded a service to help older adults learn about computers . Now , actress Florence Henderson , otherwise known as Mrs. Brady , has a new mission : Helping older adults learn to use technology . Her new business , Floh Club , is a `` telephone-based technical support service '' focusing on people who did n't grow up with computers -- especially grandparents who want to stay in touch with family but are intimidated by webcams , Facebook , instant messaging or even e-mail . Henderson says Floh Club is `` like roadside assistance for your computer . '' She spoke with CNN 's Josh Levs about her inspiration , her grandkids and `` Brady Bunch '' rumors as the show celebrates its 40th anniversary . See more of our chat with Florence Henderson '' CNN : What made you think of this ? Florence Henderson : I was terrified of computers , Josh . I did n't grow up with them . And I have four kids , and they were always saying , `` Oh , Mom , please get connected . '' And I would go , `` No , I do n't have time . '' But I was really scared . And so , a few months ago I decided that if I felt that way , there must be a lot of older adults that feel the same way , or maybe even some younger ones . I am now sending e-mails , I 'm videoconferencing . I 'm taking photos off my camera and actually putting them on the computer . Facebook , it is so exciting . I mean , I 'm thrilled . CNN : What kinds of calls are you getting ? What have people been calling and saying they need help with ? Henderson : Things like as simple as learning how to send an e-mail . We have all North American-based technical experts standing by . Eighteen hours a day . Seven days a week . They are all very patient and very caring , and they will access your computer remotely , and they will talk you through any problem you may be having . They 'll teach you how to use your computer . CNN : The plans and services range from $ 25 to up to $ 250 for an entire year . You have grandkids . Do you stay in touch with them this way ? Henderson : You know what , Josh ? That 's one of the most exciting things for me is to be able to videoconference because I have a son and his wife and two children that live in St. Louis . I have a daughter in Florida . And they have two children . And now I can actually see them . I have a new granddaughter who is just a year old . I can watch her grow , and I can talk to them . To me , that is the most exciting thing . And so I 'm encouraging older adults to really stay connected and use your brain . CNN : It 's the 40th anniversary of the Brady Bunch . We see sitcom stars come and go . But you , 35 years after the show technically ended , you have stayed out there as an icon . What 's your secret ? What did you do that no one else figured out ? Henderson : You know what , Josh ? I think it 's because I love what I do . I 'm passionate about what I do . I 've always kind of felt that my career was my vocation , and I love staying on top of things . Now I 'm cybermom ! I genuinely love to communicate . And I love people . CNN : I got to tell you , when I said I was going to talk to you today , every person I talked to said I have to get the truth about you and Greg -LRB- Barry Williams -RRB- . You write about this on your blog . Just give everyone the real story . Henderson : The real story is that he always had a crush on me and he asked me to go on a date with him . And so I went . And he only had a driver 's permit . And his brother had to bring him to my hotel , and then he could drive my car , you know , he had a permit . But it was so sweet and so innocent . And he 's still a very dear friend . | What is the telephone-based technical support service called ? | 88:90 |
./cnn/stories/a2f2f33d42886dfc09ba23f85551d52774fb9277.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dennis Blair , the president 's top intelligence adviser , announced his resignation after 16 months of power struggles , politics and personality clashes . Blair was the third person to serve as director of national intelligence since the position was created five years ago . His resignation is effective May 28 . Although President Obama praised Blair for his `` remarkable record of service , '' there has been tension between the two . Blair found himself at odds with the White House over the scope of his role , and there was indirect conflict with others in the intelligence community . `` From the beginning the White House did not have the same view of what the DNI should be , '' according to a source familiar with the situation . '' -LSB- Blair -RSB- is a manager and a leader . He is not a politico . He does n't run around doing political stuff , '' the source said , acknowledging the Blair 's candor got him in trouble . Blair , a retired four-star Navy admiral , has served in the post since January 2009 . His office oversees 17 federal intelligence agencies , including the CIA , FBI and Department of Homeland Security . Word of his resignation came two days after the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report that sharply criticized the National Counterterrorism Center , overseen by Blair 's office , for failing to coordinate properly intelligence activities to detect the attempted Christmas Day airline bombing . The report highlighted 14 points of failure and said that the center was not organized to fulfill its mission . Blair , who also caught some of the blame for the more recent failed Times Square bombing attempt , responded to the report by noting changes made in response to the Christmas incident , including creation of a National Counterterrorism Center analytical unit dedicated to following up on terrorist threat information . However , Blair 's statement noted that `` institutional and technological barriers remain that prevent seamless sharing of information . '' Although Blair 's resignation was not a complete surprise for those in the intelligence community , he was not expected to step down for another month , senior intelligence officials said . He decided to leave sooner than expected when Obama asked CIA Director Leon Panetta and national security adviser James Jones to go to Pakistan and Blair was not asked to participate , the sources said . `` When the president looked to Leon Panetta and Jim Jones to go to Pakistan on this very serious threat , it was a slap at him . It was an indication of a lack of confidence in Adm. Blair , '' said Fran Townsend , CNN national security contributor who was President George W. Bush 's chief anti-terrorism and homeland security adviser . One Senate source said Blair has been unhappy and frustrated . `` He was losing every turf battle to Panetta , '' the source said . Blair and Obama also did n't have a good connection , Townsend said . `` You 've got a very bright , engaged president and with a lot of charisma , and there was n't a real chemistry between them , '' she said . The DNI was intended to be the CEO of the intelligence community , looking at the 17 agencies ' budgets , capabilities , training and cross-department communication . When the position was created , the DNI was given a lot of responsibility but not enough authority , Townsend said . `` It 's clear in this case between Adm. Blair and President Obama there was a mismatch and misunderstanding of expectations and responsibilities . And it will be very important that whoever the new DNI is , understands and accepts what the president 's view of that position is , '' she said . Even before Blair officially turned in his resignation , the White House already had spoken to potential replacements , the senior intelligence officials said . John Hamre , a defense official in the Clinton administration ; retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Jim Clapper , defense undersecretary for intelligence ; and former Sen. Chuck Hagel , R-Nebraska , are considered top contenders . CNN 's Kristi Keck , Gloria Borger and Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report . | When is Blair 's resignation effective ? | 54:56 |
./cnn/stories/c26dba391aea18166902e590edff05db2580ee27.story | BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A leader of the Sons of Iraq anti-al Qaeda group was killed Saturday when a bomb attached to his vehicle exploded , an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said . U.S. soldiers arrive on the scene of a suicide bombing Saturday in Kirkuk , Iraq . Two civilians were wounded in the explosion in southern Baghdad 's Dora district , the official said . The Sons of Iraq , or Awakening Councils , are mainly composed of former Sunni insurgents who turned against al Qaeda in Iraq . They are considered a major factor in the reduction of violence in Iraq over the past two years and are frequently targeted by al Qaeda . In other violence across Iraq on Saturday : â $ cents At least 19 people were wounded in a bombing at a coffee shop in Baquba , a security official in Diyala province said . The coffee shop is frequented by U.S.-backed anti-al Qaeda fighters . The explosion wounded 17 group members and two civilians , the official said . Baquba is about 35 miles north of Baghdad . â $ cents At least seven people , including three Iraqi Army soldiers , were wounded when a roadside bomb struck an army patrol in northern Baghdad 's Qahaira neighborhood , the Interior Ministry official said . â $ cents At least one police officer was killed and nine people -- seven police and two civilians -- were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest near a police academy in Kirkuk , according to a police official . Kirkuk is located in oil-rich northern Iraq , about 150 miles north of Baghdad . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh and Yousif Bassil contributed to this report . | What killed a leader of Sons of Iraq | 22:27 |
./cnn/stories/b200f11d751446a0a7d59234736221299739aaf7.story | NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavy rains triggered by El Nino weather patterns could potentially prove devastating for east African nations that have been water-starved for months , the United Nations has warned . A Turkana boy holds an empty cup in a village in northwestern Kenya . Kenya , Somalia , Tanzania and Uganda are facing mudslides , crop destruction , waterborne diseases and disrupted road networks , the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday . Djibouti , Eritrea and Ethiopia could also be affected . The effects of flooding are expected to be exacerbated because so much greenery has disappeared in the drought . `` More than 23 million people in pastoral , agricultural and suburban communities , as well as internally displaced people and refugees in the region , are reeling from the impact of water and food shortages , pasture scarcity , conflict and insecurity , '' said John Holmes , the under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs who is coordinating emergency relief operations . `` While we can not prevent these climatic shocks , we certainly can mitigate their disastrous effects through forward planning and the right funding from the donor community , '' he said . Uganda , hit by El Nino a decade ago , is planning to apply some of the lessons learned this time around , said Fred Opolot , a government spokesman . `` The government has allocated funds and resources to areas that will be affected , '' he said . `` Our disaster preparedness department is using press briefings , among other ways , to inform the public . '' Though the department is not very well-funded , he said , the government is working with groups such as the United Nations and international aid agencies to prepare for floods . `` It is a multifaceted effort ... we want to ensure citizens are sensitized to the dangers of El Nino and things such as bridges are in good condition . '' The rainy season begins in the Horn of Africa in mid-October and runs through the end of the year . Meteorologists have forecasted that this year 's rains will be more intense than usual because of the El Nino phenomenon , caused by a rise in temperature in the Pacific and Indian oceans . Aid agencies are already buckling under the weight of helping millions of people who have suffered through months of failed crops , drought and erratic rains caused by climate change . In Somalia , 450,000 people in the Juba and Shabelle river basins could suffer , the United Nations estimates . In neighboring Kenya , some 750,000 people -- 150,000 of whom are refugees -- could be affected . The Turkana , a pastoral tribe in northeastern Kenya , is already reeling from a severe drought that has left scores of people dead and remains of skeletal cows strewn across the flat , arid land . The remote region has no access to resources , making it especially vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods . CNN 's Moni Basu and Faith Karimi contributed to this report . | What warning comes after months of drought ? | 7:19 |
./cnn/stories/edfd5023aaca8b6570286cfb31b2e61d9d3d8476.story | NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hugh Hefner founded Playboy magazine 55 years ago and turned the adult-oriented publication into a multimillion-dollar empire . CNN anchor John Roberts recently sat down with Hefner , now 82 , and talked about Steven Watts ' new book , `` Mr. Playboy : Hugh Hefner and the American Dream . '' Hugh Hefner , 82 , says that `` staying young is what it is all about for me . '' John Roberts , CNN anchor : Mr. Hefner , good to see you . Hugh Hefner : It is my pleasure . Roberts : You have over the decades certainly supported political causes , you 've supported Democratic causes . I 'm wondering what your thoughts are regarding the pending inauguration of Barack Obama and where you think the country is headed in the next four years . Hefner : Well , where the country is headed is obviously a question we would all like to know . But I , certainly , -LSB- say -RSB- this -LSB- is -RSB- a time for a change . I supported Obama . I 'm delighted that I lived to see a black president . I think he 's a very good man . I think we 've had ... eight of the worst years in my memory . And we hope that Obama can make some difference . Watch the interview with Hugh Hefner '' Roberts : You know in the 1950s and through the '60s and the early '70s you were such a factor in the sexual revolution in this country . With the election of Barack Obama , do you believe that the cultural revolution has come to an end ? Hefner : It 's always ongoing . You know , we remain essentially a puritan people . And so I think that conflict is always there . One got a remarkable revolutionary change in pop culture and in moral values in the '60s and '70s , and then there was a backlash . And that backlash , I think , has influenced government . And , um , the Christian right has had , played a major role in all of that . And I think that the complicated problems with religion being involved with politics hopefully will come to an end for a while at least . Roberts : Now in 1953 , when you first launched Playboy magazine , you seemed to be the right publication for the right time . I know that you were very heavily influenced by the Kinsey Report , which had come out not too long prior to that . But 55 years later , is Playboy magazine still relevant ? And if it is , how do you keep it relevant ? Hefner : Well , I do n't think obviously it will ever play the same kind of role that it played back in the 1950s and '60s . But I do think that a magazine of quality always has a place . Increasingly , obviously fewer people are reading magazines and fewer people are reading newspapers and books , but I think that part of that is a change that Playboy is always , is also embracing . We 're very much involved with the Internet . We were the first magazine to use -LSB- the -RSB- Internet and have our own Web site . So I think that we 'll continue to publish and publish both the magazine and then publish through electronics . Roberts : The new Steven Watts biography is a fascinating , very fascinating look at your entire career , from your roots all the way up until the present . And he says , looking back over it , that `` the key to his approach was that he edited Playboy for himself . Aiming it at his own tastes and values . '' Was that also a key to your success as well that you approached this with such a personal passion ? Hefner : I think so , but I think that is one of the things that makes magazines unique . They do speak with a personal voice . And I think it is one of the things that makes magazines special . Roberts : Now this , of course , has been a family enterprise . You founded the magazine , your daughter Christie took over as CEO of the company in 1982 . She has been there for 26 years , but she 's stepping down later on this month . Will you be able to still maintain that same - I do n't want to say `` quality '' because I 'm sure the quality was there -- but can the business continue in the fashion it has for the past 55 years ? Hefner : Well , only time will tell . If you 're talking in terms of family connections , I have two teenage sons . As a matter fact , there was an interview with Marston and Cooper in the current January issue . Roberts : I saw it . Hefner : Marston has just turned 18 and is at Trinity College . Cooper will be graduating in June and will be going to USC , and both have an interest in the magazine . Roberts : So you 'll be able to continue that legacy into the future ? Hefner : That is my hope . Roberts : Hugh , in the early part of the 1980s you ran into a number of problems . You were attacked on a number of different fronts by Reagan conservatives , the feminist movement , business started to suffer . Of course , there was the murder of 1980 Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten and charges that you had exploited her . A recent article in the Baltimore Sun described those times this way . It said : `` Many now viewed Hefner as an anachronism : A creepy old guy padding around the mansion in slippers , pajamas and smoking jacket , pathetically cavorting with the same young bimbos and living the dissolute life of an aging Lothario -- the sexualized Peter Pan who refused to grow up . '' How did you overcome all that and survive another 25 years in the way that you have ? Hefner : Well , I think that 's probably the great question . One of the big questions is `` Why is the brand so hugely popular again ? '' There was a period in the '80s and '90s on which we were in the shade , and the brand has become hugely popular again . Part of it because of the television show . The television show is a global phenomenon . And what is unique about it is the fact that it is more popular with women than with men . Roberts : I know . The program you are talking about is girls gone wild ... sorry , `` Girls Next Door . '' It 's heading into its sixth season . And one of the statistics I saw is that 78 percent of the viewers are women . How do you think you 've tapped into that market ? Hefner : Well , we certainly did n't anticipate it . The original notion of doing the show through the eyes of the girlfriends seemed inspired because it took a lot of the pressure off of me . Because I 'm a very busy guy . I still am very busy involved with the business and with the magazine . So the notion of doing a reality show through the eyes of the girls was a good idea because it took the pressure off the old man . What we did n't anticipate , of course , was as a result ... it is a hugely popular phenomenon with women and that , of course , is really welcome . Because we knew that we were going to have the guys so the fact that the magazine and the brand is now hot with young women bodes well for the future . Roberts : Of course , the three principals in `` Girls Next Door '' are Holly , Bridget and Kendra , and we know that there has been a bit of a change in the relationship between you and Holly , at the very least . Will they be back again next year for the next season ? Hefner : Yes , all three of the girls are scheduled for season six . It will be a season of transitions and we will be meeting some of the new girls , too . Roberts : You 're 82 years old now ? Your latest girlfriends are a pair of 19-year-old twins , Karissa and Kristina Shannon . You are 63 years older than they are . A lot of people would say , `` How do you do it ? '' And other people might say , `` Are you ever going to grow up ? '' Hefner : Well , I 'm never going to grow up . Staying young is what it is all about for me . Holding on to the boy and , um , long ago I decided that age really did n't matter and as long as the ladies ... feel the same way , that 's fine with me . Roberts : Well , you 're definitely the youngest 82-year-old I 've ever seen . Hugh Hefner , thanks for being with us today . Hefner : My pleasure always . Roberts : Take care . Hefner : Thank you . | what age is publisher-playboy | 61:62 |
./cnn/stories/d6ec404c2a37fbc9af8e62e448d34f7dc3681c9d.story | New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Officials are investigating reports that two fire department dispatchers trained in emergency medical care refused to help a pregnant worker who collapsed in a cafe they were visiting . The woman later died . Eutisha Rennix collapsed while working at an Au Bon Pain restaurant in Brooklyn on December 9 and died at Long Island College Hospital , according to the district attorney 's office for Brooklyn , which is looking into the incident . A spokesman for the office said Rennix was pregnant . The district attorney 's office identified the two dispatchers as Jason Green and Melissa Jackson . The New York Fire Department has suspended them without pay pending a department investigation , spokesman Frank Dwyer said . Although the two worked as dispatchers , they had been trained as emergency medical technicians , said Steve Ritea , another department spokesman . Emergency medical technicians receive several weeks of training in medical care , he said Rennix 's co-workers said Green and Jackson were in the cafe at the time Rennix collapsed , but left after telling her co-workers to call 911 , local media outlets reported . Rennix 's mother , Cynthia , said she was told that her daughter 's co-workers tried to get the two to help , but they refused , according to CNN affiliate NY1 . `` If they were really caring and concerned , they would have taken a minute to see and probably , possibility , something to do or some way the could help her , '' Rennix said . But Jeff Samerson , a spokesman for the EMT and paramedics union that represents Green and Jackson , told NY1 that Jackson herself called 911 . `` These are people that are not in the field , that have not had patient contact in years . ... And they did the best they could , '' Samerson said . The fire department , however , issued a statement saying , `` All of our members have taken an oath to assist others in need of emergency medical care . '' Cynthia Rennix told CNN that she feels the EMTs were `` heartless '' and `` non-caring '' and hopes that her daughter 's tragedy will prompt the city of New York to implement some sort of training or classes to ensure that a situation like this wo n't happen again . The victim 's brother , Eudane Rennix , was overseas serving in the U.S. Army in Kuwait when he received the call about his sister 's death . He came home on emergency leave and that is when , he said , the family broke down together . `` If this is your job , why would n't you want to help someone in need ? '' he said . `` There 's no excuse whatsoever . '' Eutisha Rennix 's fiance and the father of her unborn child , Harry Woodsen , said the losses have been hard on the whole family . `` Everybody has two losses , '' he said . `` I lost a fiance , and I lost a child . Her brother lost a sister and niece . Her mother lost a grandchild and her daughter . '' The outrage at the incident has rippled beyond Brooklyn . Mayor Michael Bloomberg slammed the EMTs at a news conference Monday . `` Somebody 's dying down the street and they say ` Help them , ' and they just sat there , '' he said . `` There 's no excuse whatsoever , as far as I can see . '' | Who collapsed while working at a Brooklyn cafe ? | 40:42 |
./cnn/stories/e005ab63830c38d4e52a35b1a57ef16f7b5e5a6d.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Venezuela expelled Israel 's ambassador to the country Tuesday and accused Israel of attempting to carry out `` genocide '' against the Palestinian people . Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the Israeli army '' cowards . '' `` In this tragic and indignant hour , the people of Venezuela manifest their unconditional solidarity with the heroic Palestinian people , share in the sadness that overcomes thousands of families through the loss of their loved ones , and extends to them a hand by affirming that the government of Venezuela will not rest until it sees those responsible for these criminal atrocities severely punished , '' the Venezuelan foreign minister said in a statement read by an anchor on state television . The statement added that the government `` condemns strongly the flagrant violations of international law '' by Israel and `` denounces their planned utilization of state terrorism . '' `` For the above-mentioned reasons , the government of Venezuela has decided to expel the ambassador of Israel and some of the personnel of the Israeli Embassy in Venezuela , '' it added . In a news conference broadcast by state-run Venezuelan television , President Hugo Chavez blasted the Israeli military . `` They are cowards , '' he said . `` It 's as though a boxing professional were to come here and challenge you to box . Well , how courageous ! How courageous is the Israeli army ! '' It said that Chavez `` makes a fraternal call to the Jewish people throughout the world to oppose these criminal policies of the state of Israel that recall the worst pages of the history of the 20th century . `` With the genocide of the Palestinian people , the state of Israel will never be able to offer its people the perspective of a peace that is both necessary and long-lasting . '' Mark Regev , a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert , was unswayed . `` I have n't heard the details yet , but you know the regime in Venezuela has been one of the few countries in the world that gives automatic support to the Iranian extremists , and it does n't surprise me that they have affinity with groups like Hamas and Hezbollah , '' he told CNN . He predicted that other countries would not follow suit , even in the Middle East . `` I think , even in the Muslim and Arab countries , there is a fair amount of understanding for what Israel has had to do here , '' he said . | What did President Hugo Chavec called Israeli ? | 38:39 |
./cnn/stories/cd1600b047715ef0829bacfc7ed3b4cebb616f98.story | LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's no secret that the music industry has not made an ideal transition into the digital era . Is the iPod , iTunes and independent Web promotion the future of music ? Or can record labels fight back ? Album sales are falling , P2P file sharing is rife , and a plethora of new artists are using the Internet as a platform for gaining international exposure . With the introduction of MySpace Music , three major record labels -- Sony BMG , Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group -- are hoping to launch a counter-strike to the technological developments and online activities that have rocked their industry . But , how far can the record labels go towards getting back those good old days where they were uncontested as they reaped the lion 's share of profits from the music industry ? Experts CNN spoke to for a Just Imagine article had contrasting views on what the coming years hold for the industry . Long-time music industry figure Bob Lefsetz was critical of the new venture . '' Radio on demand , in one 's home , in front of the computer , which is what MySpace actually is , is not a sexy alternative to owning what you want and taking it to the beach , to the party , to your workout , '' he said , comparing it with Apple 's iTunes and iPod . Lefsetz feels the record labels have to face serious decline , unless they can come up with a new business model . Well-known music artists ' rights advocate , educator and industry commentator , Moses Avalon , was more positive about MySpace Music 's hopes and the future of the record label industry . Music industry lecturer Andrew Dubber , meanwhile , believed the future would be characterized by change , and that there is no set model for the future of the recording industry . Now , we want to know what you think . Give us your views on the future of the music industry . Do you have a business model you think the record labels should adopt to build a strong future ? Or , do you think the industry has no future at all ? Do you think Web sites like tunecore.com , rawrip.com and sellaband.com hold the power now ? Post your comments in the Sound Off box below . We 'll publish the best . | What venture might save the music industry ? | 188:191 |
./cnn/stories/be285e7c1f5d974956cf8597a09855c051dbf34e.story | LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's mother fired the lawyers helping her fight for control of her son 's estate , but her new lawyer missed a key hearing where the judge gave more power to the men she is opposing . Katherine Jackson , with Michael in 2005 , is challenging the appointment of Michael 's estate trustees . Katherine Jackson replaced lawyers Burt Levitch and Londell McMillan with Adam Streisand , a lawyer known for his expertise in Los Angeles probate cases . `` The family came to a decision before they called me , '' Streisand said . `` They felt they needed a different perspective and fresh look at how this case was being approached . '' But Streisand arrived at court Thursday minutes after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ended a hearing in which he granted a request from estate special administrators John Branca and John McClain for more authority to make deals on behalf of Jackson 's estate . `` I want this estate to move forward and I want these creditors to be dealt with , '' Beckloff said . `` And while we are proceeding in this posture , I want Mrs. Jackson to have information about what is going on and I do n't want to be in court all the time . '' The process of probate of Jackson 's will , which named Branca and McClain as executors , has been slowed since soon after the pop star 's June 25 death by numerous legal challenges filed by Katherine Jackson 's lawyers , led by Levitch . Howard Weitzman , lead lawyer for the estate 's administrators , expressed optimism that the two sides would be able to work better toward a settlement with Streisand in charge . The estate 's administrators were able to make a series of deals expected to bring in at least $ 100 million to the estate this year , mostly through a documentary movie that premieres next week . Katherine Jackson 's legal team has asked that a member of the Jackson family `` have a seat at the table '' as a third executor . They 've also raised questions in sealed court papers about possible conflicts of interest that might prevent Branca and McClain from controlling the estate . Streisand said the Jackson family was frustrated with the inability `` to get this case going . '' He indicated Katherine Jackson still planned to challenge Branca and McClain 's control of her son 's wealth . Under the 2002 will , Michael Jackson 's three children and his mother are the chief beneficiaries of his estate , while unnamed charities will share in 20 percent of the wealth . Streisand said when he met with Katherine Jackson and the children to discuss the case , they were united . He said Jackson patriarch Joe Jackson was not present at the meeting and he 's never talked with him . Joe Jackson appeared frustrated earlier this month when he attended his first hearing in the probate process , suggesting the lawyers should be more aggressive in court . Streisand said the three Jackson children are doing `` absolutely wonderful . '' | Who is Katherine Jackson ? | 8:12 |
./cnn/stories/6071da750a92d9770884be1f82333f4320f2653d.story | Editor 's note : David Craig is a film , television and Web producer , an adjunct professor at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California , and a gay rights activist . David Craig says there 's growing support for recognition of gay unions and gay marriage . LOS ANGELES -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- My battle for marriage equality began in 1990 , after my partner , Brian Binder , and I had a commitment ceremony . The ceremony was held at the end of a conference for Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays and was attended by more than 300 friends and members of both our families . We were featured in a couple of books on gay marriage because the concept was so new at the time . We also registered as domestic partners and entered into every possible form of legal recognition available at the time . A few years later , Brian was visiting his parents in Nevada to inform them that he was giving up his battle with AIDS . Something went horribly wrong , and he was rushed to the hospital . I flew there immediately . As his caretaker , I knew his medical condition and had been involved in every medical decision . We had shared the joy of making a commitment to one another and the pain and suffering of a horrible disease . But when I arrived , I was told I could not see him because I was not `` family '' and because my legal documents were valid only in California . Even as I heard him calling out my name , they refused to let me see him because we were not married . Brian died in 1992 . In 1995 , I helped organize the first Freedom to Marry March in Los Angeles . Ten years later , the idea for A Day Without Gays was conceived . iReport.com : Are you taking part in `` A Day Without Gays ? '' I was discussing same-sex marriage with Delia Fine , my colleague at the A&E Network . I proposed a gay version of Lysistrata , an ancient Greek satire about Athenian women who withheld sex from their husbands until they agreed to stop going to war . She replied , `` what if gays went on strike instead ? '' and the idea was born . We convinced A&E to produce a movie based on the idea , which became a romantic comedy called `` Wedding Wars '' that aired on the network in 2006 . Critics compared the film to `` A Day Without a Mexican , '' which led to the one-day protest by the Latino community called A Day Without Immigrants . In the wake of the passage of Proposition 8 in California , which banned same-sex marriage , I posted the event on Facebook . My fellow organizer , Steve Holzer , inspired by the Latino protests , suggested we call it A Day Without Gays . We soon discovered that other organizers had conceived of the same idea simultaneously , and we all agreed to schedule the protest for December 10 , which is International Human Rights Day . A week later , Join The Impact , the group that organized City Hall rallies nationwide November 14 , joined forces with us . Our goal is to raise awareness that marriage is a `` basic human right '' as declared by the U.S. Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia , the case that ended race-based restrictions on marriage . We believe that to deny gays and lesbians that right , and the 1,400 state and federal legal and economic benefits of marriage , is discrimination and in violation of the 14th Amendment . We are asking people who support us to `` call in gay '' to their workplace by taking the day off or to shut down their businesses . Our goal is to raise awareness that we are gay and lesbian Americans who work , own businesses , pay our taxes and support the economy to the tune of $ 712 billion a year , according to an analysis by Witeck-Combs Communications , a public relations agency that specializes in the gay and lesbian consumer market . This is a declaration that we take our rights seriously and demand full equality . Our Facebook site has had a million visitors , and more than 225,000 people indicate that they will or might participate . There are also more than 17,000 postings from participants who have taken the time to debate , support and/or deride these issues . There is still much to do . Thirty states have passed bans on same-sex marriage . Thirty states allow employers to fire someone based on sexual orientation , according to the American Civil Liberties Union . Some states have instituted or are considering bans that directly or indirectly prevent gays and lesbians from adopting or fostering children . In addition , the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act by Congress in 1996 denies civil unions what Barack Obama 's campaign described as the more than 1,100 benefits of marriage including immigration , taxation , Social Security and veteran 's benefits . A recent Newsweek poll reflects that , for the first time , a majority of Americans now believe that gay and lesbian couples deserve recognition , with 55 percent supporting legally sanctioned unions . It found increased backing for inheritance and other rights and found that 39 percent favor gay marriage . The tide is clearly turning in our favor , and I believe that love , equality and support for all families will triumph . In the words of Tony Kushner , `` We will be citizens . The time has come . '' The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Craig . | What does a relevant poll indicate ? | 900:912 |
./cnn/stories/59f7dc5b5d5da6b8ba756d23e43a2553f53149d0.story | ISTANBUL , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Regular programming has just been interrupted by a news conference . A slender black man in a suit steps up to a podium , flanked by American flags and a White House logo . Michael Lamar was laid off in January but has a new job as a Barack Obama look-alike . `` I wish I could announce such an economic package , '' he says , `` but there is a bank in Turkey that did it . It is Garanti . I wish we had Garanti in America . '' Do n't be fooled . This is a commercial on Turkish TV . The actor is a 44-year-old Barack Obama look-alike from Whitehall , Pennsylvania , named Michael Lamar . And he is shilling for a Turkish bank . In the month before the real Barack Obama is to visit Turkey , this ad campaign went out all across the country on television and on billboards , using the iconic , Warholian image of the American president to sell low-interest loans . The `` Mad Men '' behind the concept say their Obama look-alike was the perfect guy to sell what they described as Garanti Bank 's own economic stimulus package . `` We probably would n't be doing this commercial if it was the previous president , '' said Can Celikbilek , a copy writer at the advertising company , Alametifarika . `` But in the case of Obama , he does represent hope , not only for the States but for the whole world . '' For Obama look-alike actor Lamar , there was some irony about getting flown to Turkey to star in a commercial for a bank . He is a recent casualty of the global economic crisis . `` I was laid off in January of this year from JP Morgan Chase Bank in the U.S. , '' Lamar said , in a telephone interview from Pennsylvania . `` After 18 years in the company , I was just laid off . One of the cutbacks . I 'm currently unemployed right now . '' Or , was unemployed . Lamar 's striking resemblance to the American president has suddenly offered the former software analyst a possible new career for supporting his wife and child . `` I 'm available full-time now , '' Lamar said . `` I 'm going to see where this leads me . '' Lamar is now being represented by a casting agency in Los Angeles that specializes in celebrity look-alikes . Since he discovered his new `` talent , '' he has traveled to the Netherlands to appear in a commercial for a liquor chain and to Paris , where an activist organization brought him in to meet lawmakers at the National Assembly , as part of a campaign to raise awareness about racism and racial profiling in France . `` This was very exciting for me , a true privilege ! '' Lamar said . During his brief visit to Turkey , locals did double-takes when they saw Lamar walk past . `` Even in the studio , the crew -LSB- members -RSB- were like , ` Oh ! Is that Obama ? '' said Celikbilek of Alametifarika advertising . Using the image of an American president to promote anything in Turkey is a remarkable reversal . U.S. approval ratings in Turkey plunged to 9 percent , according to a 2007 Pew Research poll , making America less popular in Turkey then almost anywhere else in the world , even though the two countries are NATO allies . There was widespread anger among Turks at the war in neighboring Iraq . But the election of Barack Obama appears to have dramatically improved perceptions of America . `` Bush was a dictator who attacked other countries , '' said Abdurrahman Ozdemir , who sells cigarettes from a small stall on the street . `` But we love Obama ... because he does not want to go to war with other countries . '' `` We started to love and like America because of Obama , '' said a 33-year-old woman named Begum Arinc . `` I do n't want to see people dying . I do n't want to see any war . That 's why I want to believe in Obama . '' | what did lamar do | 113:114 |
./cnn/stories/27d7f005f5e28d8c3d4678e17e648389083b6842.story | MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Auto insurers report that about 60,000 vehicles were stolen in just over a year in Mexico , the highest figure in the past decade . Mexico City , Mexico , has a well-deserved reputation for heavy traffic . Now car thefts may be added to the list . That 's no surprise to Guillermo Cruz , who has bought two new cars this year : the first after his original car was stolen , and the second three months later after two armed men pointed guns at him , got in and drove off with Cruz inside . `` They dropped me off in the street and I thought they had already left , and I went back '' to where they had taken it , he said . `` And still they had n't left ; they were inside the car . And one man said to the other , ` Let 's shoot him because he 's becoming annoying . ' '' According to the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions , the capital of Mexico City is a favorite site for car thieves to work . `` If we talk about data from the federal district , we can say that we have 16,000 automobiles stolen , an increase of 10 percent from October 2007 to September 2008 , '' said Recaredo Arias , a spokesman for the association . He said drug traffickers have contributed to the increase by pushing other bands of criminals into new lines of business . `` Perhaps they are taking up so much space from the point of view of the sources of income as from the point of view of supply and distribution of drugs to these bands and , as a result , the bands are looking for other types of crimes , '' he speculated . Authorities say they are making efforts to fight the crime , though some observers predict that the incidence of car theft will rise further as the world economic crisis worsens . | How many cars did a Mexican insurer say were stolen in a year ? | 12:15 |
./cnn/stories/4bd885a8fad7ad5aee9cfecf5aa0531aa8866d65.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This month on MainSail Shamrock V , a 1930 's Americas Cup challenger at the J-class race in the Solent , Isle of Wight , in 2001 . What makes a `` classic '' yacht ? Is it age , or era ? Are classics born or made ? Is it size and value , or cultural significance ? Classics can be modern and old -- from three-mast 1930s teak works of art like the original America 's Cup racers , to cutting edge , contemporary monsters , like the `` Maltese Falcon '' and the exclusive fleets of luxury boat builders like Perini Navi and Wally . This month CNN 's Mainsail investigates what makes a classic yacht at one of the world 's great yachting regattas . Les Voiles de St Tropez St Tropez , playground of the rich and famous , a bastion of class , richesse and style , plays host for the 26th year to Les Voiles de St Tropez , a classic event in every possible sense of the word . The regatta gathers together the most extraordinary modern sailing boats alongside the most beautiful traditional yachts , as sailors from all over the world gather to do battle in the Mediterranean 's most glamorous bay . During the week 's racing , presenter Shirley Robertson hitches a ride on board some of the world 's most iconic yachts both ancient and modern , and attempts to find out what makes them `` classics . '' Ernesto Bertarelli Reporting from Genoa in a world exclusive , Shirley chats to Alinghi team boss , Ernesto Bertarelli and drives the new `` Alinghi 5 '' -- the defender of the America 's Cup . Robertson is likely to be the only person in the world outside of the Alinghi team to get her hands on the wheel of the spectacular 90-foot catamaran . Will this boat , just a few months old , become an instant classic ? And in a report from the Perini Navi Cup in Sardinia , boat builders and skippers of the most glamorous luxury yachts on the planet explain what makes their machines the classics of the future . | What does Robertson drive ? | 277:282 |
./cnn/stories/a7882e237ee3538f9f22470aff828c4857746f77.story | New Orleans -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two people were killed and more than 50 others injured Thursday in a 40-car pileup that shut down Interstate 10 in eastern New Orleans , authorities said . Both eastbound and westbound lanes were closed following the crashes , which began about 4 a.m. local time -LRB- 5 a.m. ET -RRB- , said Garry Flot , New Orleans police spokesman . It was unknown how long the interstate would be closed , he said . Twenty-two people were transported to hospitals with minor to critical injuries . Another 37 complained of minor injuries at the scene but refused medical care , Flot said . One firefighter suffered a cut on his face while performing his duties at the scene , Flot said . He was taken to a local hospital for stitches . The area was experiencing heavy fog at the time the crashes occurred , according to CNN meteorologists . CNN 's Sara Pratley contributed to this report . | What was shut down ? | 24:26 |
./cnn/stories/aa88962e14a4b6218da615ed96254c695d46e182.story | -LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- November 30 , 2009 Download PDF maps related to today 's show : • Afghanistan • Honduras • Dubai , United Arab Emirates Transcript THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : You are in the homestretch -- just a few weeks left to go before the holiday break . And we 'll help get you there . I 'm Carl Azuz ; this is CNN Student News . First Up : Troops in Afghanistan AZUZ : Big announcement scheduled for tomorrow night : what President Obama plans to do about Afghanistan . There are 68,000 U.S. troops there right now . And you know the president 's been meeting with advisors for weeks , trying to figure out how the U.S. should approach the war there . He says he wants to get the decision right , but he 's been criticized for taking too much time to make it . There is one thing that some critics and supporters of the president seem to agree on , though : that he needs to talk about the U.S. mission in Afghanistan . SEN. RICHARD LUGAR , -LRB- R -RRB- , INDIANA : The president needs to start by outlining the war we are in . Now by that , I mean , the war not against the Taliban , Al Qaida , but what is , at least , the objective of continuing in Afghanistan or in any place ? That is basic . SEN. JACK REED , -LRB- D -RRB- , RHODE ISLAND : The president has to speak to the American people , remind them why we 're there , and also lay out a strategy , not just the reflexive response to a recommendation , but a strategy that involves protecting the homeland from Al Qaida . Cyber Monday AZUZ : Good news and bad news about Black Friday , that super shop-off right after Thanksgiving . More Americans showed up in stores than last year -- good for business . But they were spending less money on average -- not good for business . Still , online sales were on the up and up this year , and that could be a good sign heading into Cyber Monday , explained now by Errol Barnett . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- ERROL BARNETT , CNN CORRESPONDENT , ATLANTA : Over the past decade Cyber Monday has become one of the biggest online shopping days of the year . We typically see this on the Monday following Thanksgiving or in the days leading up to Christmas . Huge spikes in online retail sales . People want to avoid those long lines in-store so they head online to snap up some of the bargains . So exactly how much are people spending ? Well take a look at the numbers here . After last year 's financial collapse , $ 536 million was spent online in the U.S. on the Friday after Thanksgiving . On the following Monday , you see it there , online sales swelled to $ 846 million and this year 's numbers , they 're still coming in , but you can expect them to go higher . You see , even though a 1 % drop in overall retail sales are predicted this year , comScore expects a 3 % rise in online retail revenue for the months of November and December . That 's over last year , which should amount to almost $ 29 billion of retail sales . Now that 's good news , but it 's not great news . Typically we see at least a 20 % jump for holiday retail sales . From the CNN Center in Atlanta , I 'm Errol Barnett . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- Shoutout Time for the Shoutout ! You 're looking at a map of Central America . Which of these countries is Honduras ? Is it A , B , C or D ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! Honduras is between Guatemala and Nicaragua , and it touches both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Honduras Voting AZUZ : Sunday 's vote was no ordinary election in Honduras . Things there , still at a political standstill , months after President Manuel Zelaya was forced out of office in June . He was accused of trying to illegally change Honduras ' constitution . The country 's Supreme Court says Zelaya ca n't get power back until he stands trial . But Honduras ' current leader , Roberto Micheletti , is hoping Sunday 's vote will settle everything . The U.S. also hopes it does ; Argentina and Brazil say it wo n't . Defying Demands AZUZ : Iran is doing exactly what other countries do n't want it to . The Middle Eastern nation is moving forward on building ten , new , nuclear facilities . And the international community is afraid these things are gon na be used to make illegal , nuclear weapons . Iran argues they 're only for nuclear power -- the Iranian Cabinet voting to approve construction just two days after the International Atomic Energy Agency demanded that Iran stop working on another nuclear facility that it had kept secret . Dubai Debt Crisis AZUZ : Dubai : Part of the United Arab Emirates : known for some of the most extravagant communities on the planet , could be in trouble . A major developer there is in deep debt and wants more time to pay it off . And some are wondering if some lavish property could become a white elephant , something that 's more trouble than it 's worth for Dubai . Morgan Neill describes how all this could affect places far from the Middle East . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- MORGAN NEILL , CNN CORRESPONDENT , DUBAI : The party to open Dubai 's Atlantis Hotel just over a year ago now seems like a mirage . At an estimated cost of $ 20 million it boasted a guest list of the world 's rich and famous . Just two months after the Lehman shock , the dazzling extravagance seemed to say Dubai is immune , but it never was . Dubai World , which owns Nakheel , the developer of the man-made tree-shaped Palm Jumeirah Island , has now requested a suspension of debt payments . The move threatens to undermine confidence in a recent property recovery , and celebrities who bought homes there may find their property is suddenly worth a lot less . Author Jim Krane says that while established developments should be fine , Dubai 's other artificial island projects , The World and Palm Deira , could be in trouble . JIM KRANE , AUTHOR , `` DUBAI CITY OF GOLD '' : It will take a special kind of investor and probably , you know , more robust economy for anybody to really build on one of those places . I mean there is a lot more practical places to build than on one of these little islands in the world , so that could be a white elephant for a long time . NEILL : One of the firms , which has bought into the World , has confidence in Dubai 's long-term story . GILES BESWICK , SELECT PROPERTY : I would disagree that it would be a white elephant . I think it will be part of the continuing development of Dubai as a city , and a tourism center , and an investment center for many years to come . NEILL : But in the short term , Dubai World 's announcement has brought uncertainty and the prospect of a fire sale of assets to raise cash . Whatever the fate of investments abroad , hopes that Dubai 's inflated portfolio of luxury property was beginning to recover have been dashed . Morgan Neill , CNN , London . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- Shoutout Extra Credit Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit ! What does the German word `` Tannenbaum '' mean ? Is it : A -RRB- St. Nick , B -RRB- Wreath , C -RRB- Garland or D -RRB- Christmas tree Another three seconds -- GO ! Tannenbaum means Christmas tree -- and the tradition of the modern Christmas tree comes from Germany too ! That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout Extra Credit ! Holiday Tradition AZUZ : A band was reportedly playing `` O Tannenbaum , '' or `` Oh , Christmas Tree '' when the first family had their own tree delivered over the weekend . It measures more than 18 feet tall and Dan Lothian shows us how it 's not grown just like any ol' tree . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- UNIDENTIFIED MALE : This is the baby here now . We have to figure out how we 're going to get this loaded . DAN LOTHIAN , CNN CORRESPONDENT : For Eric and Gloria Sundback , this is a holiday tradition . Growing a Christmas tree fit for a president . ERIC SUNDBACK , CHRISTMAS TREE GROWER : You 're helping make a Christmas for the whole country . LOTHIAN : The West Virginia couple , both in their 80s , have grown four presidential Christmas trees - one for Jimmy Carter , two for Ronald Reagan and now this 18 1/2 foot Douglas fir destined for the Obama White House . E. SUNDBACK : What we really like this year is that it 's going to a family . The children are there . The family is well knit . LOTHIAN : To provide the White House tree , a farmer has to be crowned by the National Christmas Tree Association . Then White House officials make a visit . GLORIA SUNDBACK : They 're looking for trees that have good form and for trees that have stronger branches because they use a lot of decorations . LOTHIAN : And it takes a lot of hard work to grow that perfect presidential tree . Careful pruning , experimenting to get the right mix of characteristics , and a little tough love . E. SUNDBACK : She had a word when she would get up in the morning and say , well , fellas , you want to be a Christmas tree now or are you going to wait until later and be toilet paper ? That gets the tree growing . LOTHIAN : These college sweethearts who have been growing trees for 50 years are hoping to shake the Obama 's hands when they drop off this holiday gift but then it 's back to work . E. SUNDBACK : You do n't want to let it go to your head because you have to come back out and work again . G. SUNDBACK : That 's right . LOTHIAN : But they say they 're happy knowing their gift will bring joy to the first family . E. SUNDBACK : We hope they enjoy it as much as we 've enjoyed Christmas as kids so if the tree is good and they enjoy it , that 's what it 's about . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- Before We Go AZUZ : Well , for many of us , 't is the season of feasting , and for students at Moline High School in Illinois , it did n't start with Thanksgiving dinner . It started with Thanksgiving breakfast . More than 120 students teamed up to devour over 600 donuts , roughly five donuts per student , all to help raise money for those less fortunate . The girl who ate the most said the cause made it worth it , even if she felt like barfing . Goodbye AZUZ : Plus , they had Thanksgiving dinner later on , something we urge students with weak stomachs : do-nut try this at home . But do join us tomorrow , when we cook up a new edition of CNN Student News ! And if you have n't seen our ` office crib ' on Facebook , you oughta go here : Facebook.com / CNNStudentNews . I 'm Carl Azuz -- looking forward to seeing y' all tomorrow . | What is estimated from Black Friday to Cyber Monday ? | 580:587 |
./cnn/stories/99f33dc4ff55db199efd72a9a37616e5fffdbde7.story | LONDON , England -- Almost 25,000 people will die this year of HIV/AIDS in Myanmar unless lifesaving treatment is significantly increased , according to a new report . A Doctors Without Borders worker handing out HIV/AIDS drugs in Myanmar . The study produced by leading international humanitarian organization , Doctors Without Borders said the failure by the government to provide HIV/AIDS treatment to its people is putting the population at risk . An estimated 240,000 people are thought to have HIV/AIDS in Myanmar with 76,000 of those people facing death unless they receive antiretroviral -LRB- ART -RRB- drug , the report published Tuesday said . Fewer than 20 percent of the people are are able to access ART , according to the organization . Currently , Doctors Without Borders says it is almost the sole provider of these lifesaving drugs -- providing them to more than 11,000 people . `` It is unacceptable that a single NGO is treating the vast majority of HIV patients in a crisis of this magnitude , '' the charity 's Operations Manager Joe Belliveau , said in a press release . The pressure on its resources means the charity has been forced to turn away patients . `` Sometimes I wake up at midnight and dream of my patients . Women who come in are HIV positive -- they have three children at home and the husband has passed away and we can not provide any treatment for them , '' a doctor quoted in the research said . The government and international communities have provided very little to the crisis , Belliveau added . The government of Myanmar allocated just $ 200,000 for HIV/AIDS in 2008 , which is one of the lowest amount spent worldwide , according to Doctors Without Borders . Drugs that are not provided by aid organizations or the government cost a patient $ 29 per month . With most people in Myanmar living on an average of $ 1.20 per day , the cost of drugs is unaffordable for most . The charity also appealed for intervention by the international community to avert the crisis . Myanmar currently receives around $ 3 per person in aid -- one of the lowest rates worldwide . One reason for this may be that international donor groups are reluctant to send aid to Myanmar , a country run by a strict military junta widely criticized for its atrocious human rights record . The report states aid agencies may be put off by challenges Myanmar imposes such as strict constraints and difficult bureaucratic procedures . Earlier this year when a deadly cyclone hit Myanmar that killed almost 100,000 people and left millions homeless , the government turned away international aid to the frustration of many organizations . Doctors Without Borders has been providing essential healthcare services in Myanmar since 1993 and began an integrated program in 2003 to support people living with HIV/AIDS . | What does a report say ? | 4:15 |
./cnn/stories/35402c8b38d2e28a748d1d6fe81086fcf0cdd1ee.story | ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wearing a plaid green A-line spring skirt from her new fashion line , paired with a black patent leather belt and black leather gladiator sandal stilettos , `` Sex and the City '' actress Kristin Davis is the perfect combination of sweet and fierce when we meet up after her fashion show at the Belk department store in Atlanta , Georgia . Kristin Davis surrounded by models and Belk store official Arlene Goldstein . It 's a look that totally says her character , Charlotte , with a little bit of screen pal Carrie . Davis is so much like her character , adorable and upbeat , I expect Carrie or Samantha to drop in on our conversation and say something to shock her . As any true fan knows ... OK ... as every woman knows , watching `` Sex and the City '' was like being front row at a fashion show with a plot . TV show and movie costume designer Patricia Field dressed the characters in haute couture as they skipped down the streets of New York City in $ 600 stilettos . But is this reality ? Most sane women would n't choose to walk even one city block in high heels . And most women certainly ca n't spend a month 's rent on a belt or bag , even if they have a truly fabulous party to wear it to . So , what about us , the fashionistas on a budget ? Are we to be ignored , forced to wear boring clothing and practical shoes ? Luckily , no ; designers are catching on . Target features affordable lines from high-end designers like Alexander McQueen and Isaac Mizrahi . All of the pieces in Sarah Jessica Parker 's clothing line Bitten cost less than $ 20 before the clothing store that carried them went under . Davis is the latest celebrity to jump on the clothing label bandwagon , designing a line for Belk department stores . Will she meet the same fate as Parker ? Davis has the following to be successful . Although her character was by far the most conservatively dressed -LRB- Carrie strolling through town in just a bra top , anyone ? -RRB- , she had the most wearable wardrobe , and Davis became a fashion icon along with the rest of the ladies . Her favorite piece from her line ? `` I ca n't decide , impossible to choose ! '' she says . So I choose for her : definitely the gladiator heels . `` It 's important for women to have a strong shoe , '' she says . `` Then you can wear anything on top . With a strong shoe on , you 're good to go . '' She admits she did n't have a defined style before meeting Field , who bluntly told her that `` Sexy Secretary '' was going to be her look . Davis ' philosophy is a good one : Stick with what works . She takes the look that Field defined for her `` Sex and the City '' character . Original it 's not , but everything coming down the runway is something the stylish Charlotte York would definitely wear . Davis is in touch with all of us real women out there , saying , `` I do n't want to make clothing that only skinny actresses could wear . '' Her solution ? Dresses , shoes and swimsuits worthy of a `` Sex and the City '' episode that you do n't need Park Avenue pockets to afford . It 's versatile enough to look good on every body type . `` Everyone has body issues . I really wanted to create pieces that looked good on different kinds of bodies . I had all of my family members trying on the outfits ! '' she says with a laugh . Davis wo n't spill any secrets from the scripts of the `` Sex and the City '' movie sequel , which comes out in May 2010 , but she admits it 's a `` happy '' movie . She does hint that our famous foursome might have to cut back a little on their clothing expenses as art imitates life . And she 's willing to share some fashion tips : How to look like you stepped out of the wardrobe room on the set of the next `` Sex and the City '' movie ? Green . `` It 's THE color '' she says . And hey , who does n't need to save some green ? It all works out perfectly . I left the meeting with Davis to check out her displays . Then I skipped out into the streets of Atlanta , in a pair of her new gladiator stiletto sandals . That I got on sale , of course . | what will be the hot color | 764:765 |
./cnn/stories/3652c2e06799c1f4ed64d5249fb7d651d92540a3.story | LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. State Department has sold its London embassy building to a Qatari real estate company , the embassy announced Tuesday . The signing of the deal is another major step in the embassy 's plans to relocate from its longtime headquarters in central London to a new site in Wandsworth , on the south bank of the River Thames . It was n't immediately clear how much Qatari Diar Real Estate paid for the embassy building in Grosvenor Square , whose 1960s facade was recently given listed status , meaning its design ca n't be changed . The embassy will continue to operate from the current building until the new one is completed in 2016 or 2017 , the embassy said . Construction is expected to begin in 2012 or 2013 . It was a year ago that the embassy announced it was looking for a new site that is more modern , open , and secure than the current building in London 's West End . It has now settled on a site in Wandsworth and is having a design competition for the new building . When the embassy does move to Wandsworth , it will mark the end of a more than 200-year association with Grosvenor Square , in the historic and exclusive neighborhood of Mayfair near Hyde Park . John Adams , who later became U.S. president , lived on the square from 1785 to 1788 , when he was the first U.S. minister to the Court of St. James . The building in which he lived still stands in the square 's northeast corner . The embassy moved to various locations in the West End before returning to Grosvenor Square in 1938 . For years , it occupied a building on the east side of the square -- a building that now houses the Canadian High Commission . During World War II , the square was known as `` Little America '' because the embassy was on one side and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower 's headquarters were on the other . The embassy moved to its current site , occupying the entire west side of the square , when the building was completed in 1960 . The concrete , four-story structure was designed by Eero Saarinen , who also designed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis , Missouri , and the U.S. Air Force Academy Chapel in Colorado Springs , Colorado . Since the September 11 attacks in 2001 , the embassy has caused controversy locally by installing blast walls in a wide perimeter around the building . Neighbors complained the walls were unsightly , and the walls caused the road in front of the building to be closed to traffic . Sitting atop the building at the front is a huge gilded aluminum eagle with a 35-foot wingspan . It is not clear whether the eagle will be considered part of the building 's listed status , meaning it will have to stay on the facade , or whether it can be moved to the new location , according to a spokesman for the realty firm Cushman and Wakefield , which advised the United States on the sale . | What did the Qatari firm buy ? | 15:17 |
./cnn/stories/4dc0cef39980df6382f9aee5e150e904fe62965e.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim came out of hiding Monday , and says he has damaging evidence that proves senior members of the government faked evidence for sodomy charges against him . Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says he has proof sodomy charges against him were fabricated . '' I have new evidence about the fabrication of evidence against me in 1998 , '' Anwar told CNN Monday . `` I totally reject these malicious attacks . '' Anwar was the heir apparent to former premier Mahathir Mohamad until 1998 , when he was sacked and charged for corruption and sodomy . The sodomy conviction was overturned , but the corruption verdict was never lifted , barring him from running for political post until this year . In the CNN interview , Anwar rejected the sodomy charges and also said he had evidence of threats on his life that caused him to go into hiding at the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur . Listen to Anwar Ibrahim defend himself '' CNN could not immediately reach members of Malaysia 's ruling party . The ruling party , National Front Coalition , has led Malaysia since the country declared independence in 1957 . Anwar 's opposition party has gradually chipped away at the National Front 's power . Recently Malaysian police have said they are investigating a new sodomy charge against him , Anwar said . The new charges were also false and were fabricated to usurp his political gains , Anwar said . `` I will challenge these attacks on every ground , '' Anwar said . | What did Ibrahim say ? | 53:66 |
./cnn/stories/f3c235ed08eb9caf00da936de972d7912bba73ae.story | -LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- If you 're interested in actor Marlee Matlin , you 'll want two questions answered before deciding whether to read her memoir , `` I 'll Scream Later '' : Actress Marlee Matlin appears on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' to talk about her sexual abuse . 1 . What does she say about her relationship with William Hurt , her former lover and costar in `` Children of a Lesser God , '' for which Matlin won a Golden Globe and an Oscar in 1987 ? 2 . Why does she want to scream ? The answer to the first is easy : Yes , yes , good Lord , yes , Matlin ca n't stop talking about Hurt and their passionate , turbulent , at times violent relationship . For instance , `` We made amazing , mind-blowing love . And we fought . '' Good to know . And also , `` No matter what triggered our fights , they were made far worse by his drinking and my drug use . '' Got it . Mr. Hurt no doubt sends his regards . The answer to the second is more complicated -- something to do with Matlin 's being deaf in a hearing world , and being headstrong and wild , and receiving news of her Oscar nomination while dealing with drug addiction -LRB- at the age of 21 -RRB- at the Betty Ford Center . This memoir , dutifully wrestled into order by L.A. Times film critic Betsy Sharkey , is more ramble than holler , but Matlin clearly enjoys making some noise . EW Grade : C + CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly | What grade did the book get ? | 279:280 |
./cnn/stories/cf7e820823f0af6e13f7c51f2c7d42023fb1d09f.story | -LRB- EW.com -RRB- -- Brendan Conlon -LRB- Joel Edgerton -RRB- , a high school physics teacher , has a house the bank is about to foreclose on and a daughter with an -LRB- expensive -RRB- heart defect . He 's also a former mixed-martial-arts champion , and so -- strictly for the money -- he decides to get back in the ring , even if the clawing , kicking , anything-goes bouts threaten to kill him . Tommy Conlon -LRB- Tom Hardy -RRB- , an Iraq-war veteran who left the battlefield under mysterious circumstances , is also an MMA fighter , and he too wants back in the ring . The two men are brothers , and were once close . But the only thing that unites them now , apart from their ruthless hand-to-hand prowess , is how much they hate their father , Paddy -LRB- Nick Nolte -RRB- , a recovering alcoholic whose drinking tore the family apart . ` Rescue Me ' series finale : Were you satisfied ? `` Warrior , '' a two-track drama of fighting and redemption , tells the parallel stories of Brendan and Tommy , and the movie , with its grim , deliberate rhythms and grainy '70s - style look , comes on as if it were no mere sports fable . It 's about demon-haunted Irish Catholic men testing and punishing themselves . It 's about broken families coming together . It 's about economic desperation and about America getting off the ropes and recovering its fighting spirit . If `` Rocky '' was sweet and inspiring , and `` The Fighter '' was touching and fascinating , `` Warrior '' is at times almost gravely self-important . The gifted director Gavin O'Connor -LRB- `` Miracle '' -RRB- brings the film an affecting , ripped-from-the-guts spirit , even if he ca n't really hide how many old-movie tropes are floating around in it . PTC slams ` Toddlers & Tiaras ' for ` Pretty Woman ' hooker costume Mostly , `` Warrior '' is a showcase for its up-and-coming stars . Edgerton , from last year 's `` Animal Kingdom , '' and Hardy , who stole scenes as the identity forger in `` Inception , '' both have a tense , tough presence , though in a slightly colorless way . You buy them as brothers , and as gnarly brawlers hungry to win , but Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale they are not . In this film , they 're closer to the second coming of Tom Berenger and Michael Parà © . B See full article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. . All rights reserved . | What is Warrior ? | 176:183 |
./cnn/stories/9e31d0edc0ee4d0a4ea1a5d63926621a53740e49.story | Editor 's note : Joseph E. Stiglitz , professor at Columbia University , was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001 for his work on the economics of information and was on the climate change panel that shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 . Stiglitz , a supporter of Barack Obama , was a member and later chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton administration before joining the World Bank as chief economist and senior vice president . He is the co-author with Linda Bilmes of the `` Three Trillion Dollar War : The True Costs of the Iraq Conflict . '' Economist Joseph Stiglitz says federal regulators and executives helped create the Wall Street crisis . NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Many seem taken aback by the depth and severity of the current financial turmoil . I was among several economists who saw it coming and warned about the risks . There is ample blame to be shared ; but the purpose of parsing out blame is to figure out how to make a recurrence less likely . President Bush famously said , a little while ago , that the problem is simple : Too many houses were built . Yes , but the answer is too simplistic : Why did that happen ? One can say the Fed failed twice , both as a regulator and in the conduct of monetary policy . Its flood of liquidity -LRB- money made available to borrow at low interest rates -RRB- and lax regulations led to a housing bubble . When the bubble broke , the excessively leveraged loans made on the basis of overvalued assets went sour . For all the new-fangled financial instruments , this was just another one of those financial crises based on excess leverage , or borrowing , and a pyramid scheme . The new `` innovations '' simply hid the extent of systemic leverage and made the risks less transparent ; it is these innovations that have made this collapse so much more dramatic than earlier financial crises . But one needs to push further : Why did the Fed fail ? First , key regulators like Alan Greenspan did n't really believe in regulation ; when the excesses of the financial system were noted , they called for self-regulation -- an oxymoron . Second , the macro-economy was in bad shape with the collapse of the tech bubble . The tax cut of 2001 was not designed to stimulate the economy but to give a largesse to the wealthy -- the group that had been doing so well over the last quarter-century . The coup d'grace was the Iraq War , which contributed to soaring oil prices . Money that used to be spent on American goods now got diverted abroad . The Fed took seriously its responsibility to keep the economy going . It did this by replacing the tech bubble with a new bubble , a housing bubble . Household savings plummeted to zero , to the lowest level since the Great Depression . It managed to sustain the economy , but the way it did it was shortsighted : America was living on borrowed money and borrowed time . Finally , at the center of blame must be the financial institutions themselves . They -- and even more their executives -- had incentives that were not well aligned with the needs of our economy and our society . They were amply rewarded , presumably for managing risk and allocating capital , which was supposed to improve the efficiency of the economy so much that it justified their generous compensation . But they misallocated capital ; they mismanaged risk -- they created risk . They did what their incentive structures were designed to do : focusing on short-term profits and encouraging excessive risk-taking . This is not the first crisis in our financial system , not the first time that those who believe in free and unregulated markets have come running to the government for bail-outs . There is a pattern here , one that suggests deep systemic problems -- and a variety of solutions : 1 . We need first to correct incentives for executives , reducing the scope for conflicts of interest and improving shareholder information about dilution in share value as a result of stock options . We should mitigate the incentives for excessive risk-taking and the short-term focus that has so long prevailed , for instance , by requiring bonuses to be paid on the basis of , say , five-year returns , rather than annual returns . 2 . Secondly , we need to create a financial product safety commission , to make sure that products bought and sold by banks , pension funds , etc. are safe for `` human consumption . '' Consenting adults should be given great freedom to do whatever they want , but that does not mean they should gamble with other people 's money . Some may worry that this may stifle innovation . But that may be a good thing considering the kind of innovation we had -- attempting to subvert accounting and regulations . What we need is more innovation addressing the needs of ordinary Americans , so they can stay in their homes when economic conditions change . 3 . We need to create a financial systems stability commission to take an overview of the entire financial system , recognizing the interrelations among the various parts , and to prevent the excessive systemic leveraging that we have just experienced . 4 . We need to impose other regulations to improve the safety and soundness of our financial system , such as `` speed bumps '' to limit borrowing . Historically , rapid expansion of lending has been responsible for a large fraction of crises and this crisis is no exception . 5 . We need better consumer protection laws , including laws that prevent predatory lending . 6 . We need better competition laws . The financial institutions have been able to prey on consumers through credit cards partly because of the absence of competition . But even more importantly , we should not be in situations where a firm is `` too big to fail . '' If it is that big , it should be broken up . These reforms will not guarantee that we will not have another crisis . The ingenuity of those in the financial markets is impressive . Eventually , they will figure out how to circumvent whatever regulations are imposed . But these reforms will make another crisis of this kind less likely , and , should it occur , make it less severe than it otherwise would be . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer . | what changes are needed | 899:907 |
./cnn/stories/beed8cad0900366868ab6d994b8f5991a79149af.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Adventurer and TV show host Bear Grylls injured his shoulder in Antarctica during an expedition to raise money for an international charity , the Discovery Channel said Sunday . Bear Grylls , host of `` Man vs. Wild , '' was injured in Antarctica during an expedition to raise money for charity . Grylls was injured Friday night after falling during the expedition , which was not for the Discovery Channel , according to the network 's statement . The statement said that Grylls is returning to the UK to receive medical attention . `` Once he sees a doctor , we will have a better sense of the level of seriousness of his shoulder injury and the recovery time needed to get him back to his full physical activity , '' according to the statement . Grylls , 34 , is the host of Discovery 's `` Man vs. Wild '' in which he demonstrates extreme measures -- including eating snakes and insects -- used to survive in harsh environmental conditions . In his blog , Grylls said the aim of his expedition in Antarctica -- sponsored by Ethanol Venture -- is `` to promote alternative energies and their potential . '' `` We will be using lots of different forms of alternative power , including wind-powered kite-skiing , part bio-ethanol powered jetskis and inflatable boats , electric-powered paragliders , solar - and wind-powered base camps -- and good old foot work , '' Grylls wrote in a November 14 entry . Grylls is a former member of the British Special Forces and has broken his back in several places during his service . In his blog , he said he and his wife Shara are expecting their third child in January . | Who injured his shoulder ? | 9:11 |
./cnn/stories/5cd243f2914f809c57aaf23cdc34913a0525cac1.story | New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A mechanical problem prevented BP from inserting a tube into a ruptured pipe that would help siphon off oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico , BP official Doug Suttles said Saturday . Suttles said the device was hoisted back to the surface Friday for readjustments and the company expects to have it working by Saturday night . The plan is for the mile-long tube to collect the oil and send it to a surface vessel . Millions of gallons of crude have gushed into the Gulf since the fiery explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig more than three weeks ago . Suttles , BP 's chief operating officer for exploration and production , cautioned that the method is designed to contain the flow , not stop it . The tactic was dealt a setback Friday night when the frame holding the insertion tube shifted and prevented the surface vessel from connecting to it , Suttles said . Meanwhile , Suttles said the application of underwater dispersants -- a tactic approved for use Friday -- `` appears '' to be working . `` The oil in the immediate vicinity of the well and the ships and rigs working in the area is diminished from previous observations , '' he said after flying over the area Saturday . He did not provide further details . What are oil dispersants ? The Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that the decision to use subsea dispersants is an `` important step '' at reducing potential damage from the spill , because dispersant can be more effective underwater than on the ocean 's surface . Oil dispersants are chemicals that can break the oil down into small drops and prevent it from reaching the surface or the shore . Dispersants are generally less harmful than the oil itself , which is highly toxic , and they biodegrade more quickly , the Coast Guard said . The underwater gusher began after an April 20 explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon . The explosion and subsequent fire caused the Deepwater Horizon to sink two days later , prompting oil to begin spilling from the well . BP was leasing the rig from Transocean . On Saturday , the Department of Homeland Security released a letter from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar addressed to BPchief executive Anthony Hayward , calling on the company to state its `` true intentions '' for compensating those affected by the spill . `` The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill may prove to be one of the most devastating environmental disasters this nation has ever faced , '' said the letter , which was dated Friday . `` As one of the responsible parties for this event , BP is accountable to the American public for the full clean-up of this spill and all the economic loss caused by the spill and related events . '' What can BP do to combat growing oil spill ? The letter also asks BP to confirm it will not `` seek reimbursement from the American taxpayers , the United States government or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for any amount . '' There was no immediate response from BP . | When will they try again to insert tube ? | 63:65 |
./cnn/stories/38e033b50aa3720540c9dae3cc5e4c622ff59312.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This story is about how to know when to give up on a man , and when to stick with him . It 's about Chris Johnson . I did n't know who Johnson was before this NFL season began . I have n't closely followed football since Joe Namath led my home team , the New York Jets , to victory in Super Bowl III , 42 Super Bowls ago . Now that I 've been sucked into a fantasy football league by my extended family , I know Chris Johnson . He was a top draft choice for my team . The computer picked him . In fact , all ESPN fantasy football leagues chose Chris Johnson in their drafts this year . That 's how good he was . He did n't even show up for the pre-season until his team , the Tennessee Titans , agreed to sign a contract worth more than $ 50 million . Johnson was a fantasy football owner 's fantasy man . The hero falls down a hole Week 1 : Johnson 's first game of the year is a bust -- 24 yards on nine carries . My son , who 's in elementary school , is an unusually good strategic thinker for his age . `` Let 's trade him , '' he says . `` We ca n't trade Chris Johnson , '' I tell him . I want to teach my son the value of patience . You do n't give up on a human being after one bad performance . A friend who follows the NFL reinforces the patience theme . `` You ca n't trade Johnson , '' he says . `` He 's explosive . He was off his stride the first game because he missed the pre-season holding out for that big contract . '' Week 2 : Another bomb . Fifty-three yards on 24 carries . I know this about football . It takes 10 yards to get a first down . Johnson is averaging less than three yards a carry . Could it be -- I 'd need to punt Johnson ? More pleas from my son to trade . I can see the writing on the wall : One bad week as a father -- `` Mom , trade Dad . '' Week 3 : Johnson 's worst game yet . I start reading the fantasy football sports columnists . These are real sports columnists who write about fantasy teams comprised of real players arranged in fantasy lineups chosen by real people . Some are losing faith in Johnson , but hope still prevails . `` Wait and see '' is their collective advice . Week 4 : Finally , a 100-yard game . Not a blockbuster . But a glimmer of hope . Week 5 : The glimmer disappears . I come across an ESPN.com photo showing Johnson 's offensive line was n't creating big holes for him . At the same time , there are less-obvious holes Johnson is n't seeing -- champions have to create their own opportunities . My son 's voice -- `` Trade him , dad , trade him ! '' -- rings in my ears . The hero , hopeless I come across a Sports Illustrated cover story from last year with Johnson 's photo : `` Crash course : Hard hits and short careers , '' in which SI 's Tim Layden writes that , at 24 , Johnson is at the height of his powers . `` Johnson rushes with a palpable urgency befitting a man who runs a 4.24 in the 40 , a speed all but unheard of in a running back . And he 's urgent away from the field as well . Despite having three years remaining on the rookie contract he signed out of East Carolina in July 2008 , he had his deal restructured just before the start of training camp , reportedly quadrupling in his salary for 2010 . Because Johnson knows he is also this : endangered . '' Endangered ? My first draft pick -- endangered . Why ? Why , according to the NFL Players Association , is the average running back 's career 2.6 years ? `` We get hit on every play , '' then-Redskins ' running back Larry Johnson tells SI . `` On every one of those hits , we 're the hittee , not the hitter . We run the ball , guys are taking shots at our legs , our hips . Then when we 're not running the ball , we 're pass-blocking , which means some strong safety or outside linebacker is getting a 30 yard run at us while we 're stationary . '' Week 6 : Johnson 's team , the Tennessee Titans , had a bye . A week off . We hoped a week of rest and reflection would be enough for Johnson to explode when he returned . By this point , my son knows not to ask about trading : He knows no team owners in our league would take Johnson . Week 7 : Johnson 's worst game yet . Ten carries . Eighteen yards . I 'm thinking the Titans should draft me . Weeks 8 and 9 : Well , the rhythm of this tale does n't change . What now ? So , here we are on the eve of week 10 . Some of the real/fantasy sports writers are so fed up with Johnson , they 're saying it 's time to just drop him . Nothing in return . Just let the $ 50 million fantasy man go . But you know what ? Now is the time I want to keep Johnson more than ever . I ca n't help rooting for an underdog . I know that every champion has been an underdog at least once . Forget the conventional wisdom of sports writers . I 'm reaching out to the Association for Applied Sports Psychology . Head games Glenn Pfenninger , head of the Ignite Performance Group in Dallas , Texas , says he and I have a lot in common . He 's a fantasy football guy , too . We both own Chris Johnson . I 'm doing a real interview and my expert is stuck in the fantasy world . I transition him back softly . `` What would you do to help Chris Johnson if you could ? '' `` Have Johnson put together a highlight reel and watch some of his greater plays , '' he says . `` See that he can be explosive . Mentally envision doing that on a more consistent basis . That 's good for him whether he 's lacking in confidence right now or not . '' Have him and his offensive line spend more time together . Watch tapes together . Get to know each other better . Are you listening , Titans ? Please , get the word to Johnson and the offensive line . Another call : It 's Eddie O'Connor , clinical sports psychologist . He describes himself as an NFL addict . He consults with athletes , coaches and parents at all levels of play . `` When I see performance slump , '' O'Connor says , `` it 's almost always related to a lack of focus . '' Maybe , now that Johnson has a great contract , he 's not as motivated . Perhaps he 's `` stuck on his bad performance , so his focus is on not making mistakes . `` When you focus on what you do n't want to do , you 're not thinking about what you do want to do . The time it takes to translate ` do n't ' into ` do ' is too long for performance in sport . '' So how can we help our fantasy man ? Start with what 's worked in the past and get in the moment . `` If you 're not completely in the moment , '' O'Connor warns , `` if you 're thinking about the past or the future , you 're missing details . You 're not interacting with what 's right in front of you . You 're trapped in the past or future . '' And if you miss details , your performance in any area of life will suffer . I 'm so in the moment , I do n't even realize this piece is twice as long as it 's supposed to be . OK . Three times . More head games Carol Dweck , a psychology professor at Stanford University , has documented the kind of praise that helps children -LRB- and adults -RRB- succeed , and the kind that hurts . `` You need to praise the process , strategies , persistence , taking on of challenges . That 's what builds resilience , '' Dweck says . `` When you tell kids they 're brilliant , they become afraid of making a mistake -- afraid you 'll rescind your gifted label . `` When they have a setback or difficulty they have trouble figuring out what to do next . They think ` Gee , I guess I 'm not so great . What do I do now ? ' '' A $ 50 million contract can put someone into a `` fixed mindset . '' It 's an idea , she says , like '' ` Some people have it . Some do n't . I have it . ' '' `` The problem with this mindset , '' she says , `` is that you have to prove that you have it all the time . `` Every play becomes a referendum on whether you have it or not . '' The alternative , Dweck says , is a `` growth mindset , '' an idea that '' ` I 'm this person who works hard , who learns constantly . ' Then when you have a few bad games you say , ` Hey , what am I doing wrong ? ' '' and try to correct it . That growth mindset is what 's needed to get our Chris Johnson back on track . So here we are , loaded with insight , rooting for a comeback , cheering for the underdog . I still believe Chris Johnson will be a hero on my fantasy team and on his real team . Before I finish writing , I get an e-mail from another psychologist , Robert Simmermon in Atlanta . I 'd asked him how a standout can come back from a deep , deep slump . `` In the hero 's journey , '' he writes , `` the hero who was on top , the greatest , in the journey home , falls into a deep hole . All is lost and all but a few of the most loyal remain hopeful . One by one , the loyal give up hope . It is the darkest hour . Then , there is a rumbling . It is slight , then more potent until ; THE GIANT PHOENIX IS THRUST OUT OF THE HOLE . THE HERO ON THE BACK OF THIS MAGNIFICENT BIRD IS ALIVE AND WELL . HE IS READY TO CONTINUE AND FINISH HIS QUEST . '' That 's where fantasy meets reality . Hopefully this Sunday . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Schulder . | who was a top fantasy pick ? | 94:96 |
./cnn/stories/40627c6a32d777d166b9b7a023fdde97ce47ecd9.story | Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari has won a non-binding vote that could influence the decision on who will be the country 's next prime minister , an official in the office of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Wednesday . Tens of thousands took part in the vote last week in tents set up on the streets of Baghdad and some some southern provinces . The vote was called by al-Sadr , who has refused to back the top vote-getters in the March 7 election and wanted his followers to designate a prime minister of their choosing . Al-Jaafari won 24 percent of the votes in last week 's balloting , the official in al-Sadr 's office said . Current Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki won 10 percent , and former interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi won 9 percent , the official said . Allawi aims to quickly form Iraqi government The results play no official role in deciding who governs Iraq , but it means al-Jaafari will be the person that the al-Sadr bloc is committed to supporting as the next prime minister . March 's election produced extremely close election results and the final outcome is still uncertain . Allawi 's Iraqiya bloc won 91 seats , a razor-thin victory over al-Maliki 's State of the Law coalition , which gained 89 seats , according to the provisional results . At least 163 seats are needed to form a government . As a result of being at the top of the balloting , both Allawi and al-Maliki are working to form coalition governments and are reaching out to entities like al-Sadr 's group . Al-Sadr 's party , which gained at least 39 seats in the voting , is a member of the Iraqi National Alliance , the Shiite bloc that received 70 seats . CNN 's Yousif Bassil contributed to this report . | What did he want his followers to do ? | 97:105 |
./cnn/stories/d924d722150e64da61fce36f37bd4eeb6960d90b.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You do n't need to be a teenage boy to realize how scary girls can be . Girls know it too . Megan Fox plays a demonic cheerleader in `` Jennifer 's Body , '' written by Diablo `` Juno '' Cody . Certainly Diablo Cody does . The Academy Award-winning `` Juno '' scribe proves as much in her second screenplay , a horror comedy about BFFs Jennifer -LRB- Megan Fox -RRB- and Needy -LRB- Amanda Seyfried -RRB- . These bosom buddies have a relationship that stretches back to the sandbox . They 're inseparable opposites : Jennifer is a babe , head cheerleader and a bit of a snot . Needy is nerdy , conventional and a soft touch . Except that when we first meet her , she 's locked up in the local mental hospital , kicking back at the guards and muttering darkly about the murders that put her here . Looking back , she dates this disastrous turn of events to the day Jennifer talked her into seeing an up-and-coming indie band at the roadhouse . The gig ends in a deadly inferno that claims the lives of several schoolmates , then Jennifer drives off with the band for an al fresco after-party involving satanic rites and virgin sacrifice . She survives on a technicality , but shows up later that night at Needy 's place covered in blood , barfing blue goo and craving fresh flesh . In the days after the tragedy the entire school seems to be suffering from post-traumatic stress . Only Jennifer seems unfazed by the community 's second sucker punch : the gruesome fate of the star quarterback in the woods . What 's a girl to do if her best friend turns into a heartless boy-eating demon ? Needy cleans up the mess and hopes it 's just a phase . The last time a horror flick tried for a distinctly female point of view the result was `` Twilight , '' which was more of a wan gothic romance than a chiller . Directed by Karyn Kusama , who made `` Girlfight '' and `` Aeon Flux , '' `` Jennifer 's Body '' is n't anything like that . It 's a much edgier , snappier , bloodier film , aimed primarily at young hipsters and horror fans -- plus anyone else curious to see Megan Fox get nasty . -LRB- That 's got to include a sizable chunk of the audience , surely ? -RRB- So smoldering hot that at one point she coolly sets fire to her tongue , Fox makes a convincing vixen , callously picking up victims whenever her luster begins to fade . It 's not hard to imagine she can have anyone who takes her fancy -- even Needy is not immune to her charms . Ironically , though , Jennifer is really the needy one here , while her friend eventually finds the self-possession to stand up to her . Similarly , you might come for Fox , but it 's Amanda Seyfried 's expressive range and toughness that leaves a more lasting impression . The `` Mamma Mia '' starlet is destined for good things . iReport.com : Share your review of `` Jennifer 's Body '' The bitingly smart , funny teen-speak is carried over from `` Juno , '' along with sharp pop culture references and a sassy feminist attitude , but the million-dollar question has to be : Is it scary ? Only occasionally , I 'm afraid . The gore scenes come with weird little flourishes : Jennifer 's mounting body count attracts a crowd of curious woodland creatures , sounding a sweetly sick echo of `` Bambi , '' and a climactic showdown is set in a spectacularly fetid abandoned swimming pool -LRB- do n't they drain those things ? -RRB- . But the jokiness does tend to undercut the terror . I suspect the film will prove too freaky for `` Juno '' boosters , and could have used more straight-ahead scares and sustained suspense to appease the hardcore horror geeks . That said , this entertainingly oddball offering does twist fresh kinks into a genre that 's always crying out for new blood . `` Jennifer 's Body '' is rated R and runs 102 minutes . | Who is a horror winner with doses of comedy ? | 74:76 |
./cnn/stories/0101e95643d00082c667dc1e393cdc9775e3f51e.story | NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new lawsuit alleges that convicted swindler Bernie Madoff financed a cocaine-fueled work environment and a `` culture of sexual deviance , '' and he diverted money to his London , England , office when he believed federal authorities were closing in at home . A new lawsuit alleges Bernie Madoff financed a sex-and-drugs workplace with investors ' money . The lawsuit , filed Tuesday in New York 's State Supreme Court , was brought on behalf of former investors and seeks unspecified punitive damages and compensation . Beyond that , it offers a look at what the plaintiffs ' attorneys say was once Madoff 's multimillion-dollar empire and what is now his world in a federal prison in North Carolina . Among the allegations in the 264-page lawsuit are that during the mid-1970s , Madoff began sending employees to buy drugs for company use . The complaint alleges that some employees and investors were aware of the drug purchases , and that BMIS -LSB- Bernard Madoff Investment Services -RSB- was known by insiders as the `` North Pole '' in reference to the excessive amount of cocaine use in the work place . Attorneys Joseph Cochett and Nancy Fineman filed the complaint based on an investigation , including a four-hour interview with Madoff in prison in July , that they conducted for former investors . They also allege that major financial institutions , including KPMG , the Bank of New York and JP Morgan Chase , were aware that Madoff was transferring stolen funds to his London office for personal purchases . According to the complaint , Madoff transferred funds to London to buy extravagant personal items . `` In 2006 Madoff thought the end was near because the -LSB- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission -RSB- investigated . He realized he had to change things up so his focus shifted to London , '' Fineman said . `` We know that KPMG were the auditors for the London branch and that money was used to buy yachts and Bentleys , they are supposed to look at related-party transactions . KPMG should have noticed these as a red flag . '' Officials of KPMG and the Bank of New York did not immediately respond to calls from CNN Wednesday evening for comment on the lawsuit . JP Morgan Chase spokesman Tom Kelly said , `` We do not comment on pending litigation . '' The alleged illicit behavior outlined in the complaint did not stop at drug use and extravagant spending . Company parties consisted of topless entertainers , and some employees had affairs in places such as Madoff 's own office , the lawsuit says . Madoff was fond of escorts and masseuses , and used money stolen from investors to pay them , according to the complaint . Madoff was convicted of operating a Ponzi scheme and defrauding thousands of investors . He pleaded guilty in March to 11 counts , including fraud , money laundering and perjury , and was sentenced to 150 years in prison . Prosecutors have said it was the largest investor fraud ever committed by a single person , totaling billions in losses to investors . Before Madoff , 71 , was transferred to Federal Butner Correctional Complex outside of Raleigh , North Carolina , he lived a life of luxury . The lawsuit states that he had multimillion dollar residences in Manhattan , Montauk on New York 's Long Island ; Palm Beach , Florida ; and Cap d'Antibe , France . The complaint includes details of Madoff 's drastically different life now in prison . He lives in a cell where he sleeps on the bottom bunk while up top sleeps his 21-year-old cellmate , who is serving time for drug crimes , according to the lawsuit . Madoff 's recreational activities consist of walking around the prison track at night , and eating pizza cooked by a convicted child molester , the lawsuit says . Madoff now spends his time with infamous inmates , the lawsuit says , including Carmine Persico , a former organized-crime former boss , and Jonathan Pollard , a convicted spy for Israel . Many of his fellow inmates are in prison for drug and sex crimes , according to the lawsuit . Going after large financial institutions that allegedly allowed Madoff 's scheme to flourish is the goal of Fineman and her associates . `` Our goal of meeting with Madoff during the investigation is to get as much money back from responsible parties and that 's why lawsuits are filed and why lawyers do what they do , '' Fineman said . `` Even now , 10 months later , the pain in the victims ' voices is still evident . I still hear it when I talk to people who were being defrauded for so long . '' According to the complaint , Fineman and Cochett are seeking punitive and compensatory damages for their clients with `` an amount to be determined at trial , including interest thereon . '' Fineman said that during the prison interview with Madoff , `` He said he was apologetic , but he did n't seem apologetic . '' `` I forgot I was in prison , he was talking to us as if we were in a restaurant -- he has quite an ego , you could see why people would be drawn to him , '' Fineman said . `` He told us things that were self-serving to him , '' she said . `` But he told me he knew he would die in prison . '' | what does madoff do now | 122:124 |
./cnn/stories/4929e54ae3f6711b4bd8da27a46d0f8a90c3b3bf.story | WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The National Transportation Safety Board began four days of hearings Tuesday on how to stem the `` drastic increase '' in medical helicopter accidents . Smoke rises from Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids , Michigan , after a helicopter crash in May . Over a recent 12-month period , the board probed nine fatal medical helicopter accidents that killed 35 people , a development that one board member called `` alarming . '' Medical helicopters `` provide an important service to the public '' in swiftly transporting ill and injured patients and donor organs , the board said on its Web site . Chopper pilots must operate `` safely and quickly '' in bad weather , at night or on `` unfamiliar landing sites , '' the board added . `` This hearing will be extremely important because it can provide an opportunity to learn more about the industry so that possibly we can make further recommendations that can prevent these accidents and save lives , '' said Robert Sumwalt , chairman of the hearing 's board of inquiry . Watch Sumwalt 's remarks at hearing '' Flying at night in poor weather conditions likely contributed to the crashes in Texas and Alaska of three medical helicopters that killed 11 people , the NTSB said . The three crashes occurred near South Padre Island , Texas , in February 2008 ; Huntsville , Texas , in June ; and Whittier , Alaska , in December 2007 . iReport : Watch smoke pour from a medical chopper crash in Michigan A December 2007 accident in Cherokee , Alabama , was likely caused by the pilot flying too low over trees , the NTSB said . The helicopter was shining a searchlight on a hunter who had been lost as rescue personnel on the ground tried to reach him . The pilot , a paramedic and a flight nurse were killed , the NTSB said . Among the issues to be discussed at the hearing will be flight operations , aircraft safety equipment , training and oversight . Expert witnesses such as pilots , medical personnel , managers and Federal Aviation Administration officials will give sworn testimony on what has been an `` ongoing concern '' of the safety board , which issued a report on emergency medical services operations in 2006 . The NTSB said there were 55 EMS-related aviation accidents -- both fatal and nonfatal -- between January 2002 and January 2005 that could have been prevented with `` simple corrective actions . '' In those crashes , 54 people were killed , and 18 were seriously injured , the NTSB said . The agency recommended to the FAA in January 2006 that all medical chopper operators be required to develop and implement risk evaluation programs , use dispatch and flight procedures that include up-to-date weather information , and install `` terrain awareness and warning systems '' on their aircraft . A fourth recommendation would require medical flight operators to follow federal regulations regarding their flights . The recommendations have not been fully implemented , the NTSB said . | Who begins four days of hearings ? | 5:10 |
./cnn/stories/5769da5208c5067fee3be273ac5cc0a646152e37.story | BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While violence decreases across Iraq , women in the war-ravaged country face worsening hardships as warfare has thrust them into the role of family breadwinners , an aid group 's survey said . An Iraqi woman who sells incense and candles to support her children says , `` to work is to preserve your honor . '' In a release dated Sunday coinciding with International Women 's Day , Oxfam International issued , `` In Her Own Words : Iraqi Women Talk About Their Greatest Concerns and Challenges . '' Many women have been widowed and have had to run their families because their husbands `` had been killed , disappeared , abducted or suffered from mental or physical abuse , '' the survey says . As a result , many have been unable to earn a decent living . While there are no precise numbers , there are now an estimated 740,000 widows in Iraq , Oxfam says . `` Women are the forgotten victims of Iraq , '' said Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs , in quotes included in the survey . See pictures of women working in Iraq '' The survey found that largely because of the conflict in Iraq , 35.5 percent of participants were acting as head of the household and that `` nearly 25 percent had not been married . '' `` If this reflects Iraq as a whole , it is the highest rate in the larger region , a result of the loss of men of marrying age as a result of the conflict , '' the survey said . Oxfam and its Iraqi partner group Al-Amal Association , conducted the survey in five provinces -- Baghdad , Basra , Tameem , Najaf and Nineveh . Questioners interviewed 1,700 respondents starting last summer . While the survey does n't represent the situation facing all Iraqis , it provides `` a disturbing snapshot of many women 's lives and those of their children and other family members . '' `` A quarter of the women interviewed still do not have daily access to water , a third can not send their children to school and , since the war started , over half have been the victim of violence , '' Hobbs said . `` And to add further insult more than three-quarters of widows , many of whom lost their husbands to the conflict , get no government pension which they are entitled to . '' The report urges Iraq to invest in social welfare essential services . `` A whole generation of Iraqis are at risk . Mothers are being forced to make tough choices , such as whether to pay for their children to go to school and receive health care , or to pay for private power and water services . These are choices no mother should have to make . And they are not only threatening individual families , they are also threatening the future of Iraq itself , '' Hobbs said . Here are some of the survey results . • Security and safety are the top concerns of nearly 60 percent of women . • More than 40 percent of respondents said their security situation worsened last year . • 55 percent had been victims of violence since 2003 . • Some 45 percent of women said their income was worse in 2008 than in 2007 and 2006 . • 69 percent said access to water was worse or the same as in in 2006 and 2007 . • 80 percent said access to electricity was more difficult than or the same as in 2007 . • Nearly half of the women said access to quality health care was more difficult in 2008 compared with 2006 and 2007 . • 40 percent of women with children reported that their sons and daughters were not attending school . | Who is struggling as heads of house ? | 13:18 |
./cnn/stories/459219d6e2c52f80cf43d82b967fe307871397d7.story | LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Prince Harry , the red-headed younger son of Britain 's Prince Charles and the late Diana , Princess of Wales , is back in the headlines after a British tabloid posted a home video of him using an offensive term to describe an Army colleague . Prince Harry 's behavior landed him on the front pages of British newspapers . Some of those who have watched him closely through the years see a pattern which they blame on royal destiny rather than racism or ignorance . The video , much of it apparently shot by the prince himself in 2006 , led to predictable howls of condemnation , not least from the sensation-seeking newspaper that published it . News of the World posted the video on its Web site under the headline `` Prince Harry video nasty that will spark outrage . '' Harry , who is third in line to the throne , immediately issued an apology through a spokesman for referring to a soldier from Pakistan as `` our little Paki friend . '' Watch video which has sparked controversy '' The word `` Paki '' is considered deeply offensive by many in Britain -- comparable to the `` n-word '' in the United States , said Harry biographer Mark Saunders . `` That word is just unacceptable , '' Saunders said . It was not the first time Harry had been forced to apologize for offending people . In 2005 , the News of the World 's sister paper The Sun obtained and published a photograph of him wearing a Nazi uniform at a party , prompting an apology and a promise that he had learned his lesson . Penny Junor , who has written several books on Britain 's royal family , says she suspects Harry may get himself into embarrassing situations more often than his older brother William at least partly because Harry does not expect to become king . `` Fundamentally it probably has a great deal to do with being number two , '' said Junor , the author of `` The Firm : The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor . '' `` He 's a spare , not an heir . '' She said : `` The older ones are very much groomed for the task at hand . Those in charge sometimes miss a trick with the younger members '' of the family , she said . Harry 's father , Prince Charles , may want to avoid trying to rein his son in too much , Junor theorized . `` I 'm sure that Charles thinks it 's putting an impossible burden on him to really nail Harry down to the floor when his future is uncertain , '' she said . `` Their lives are very restricted in many ways . It 's a burden being the Prince of Wales , number two in line , number three in line . There is a tendency to try and relieve the burden from the children by not jumping down their throats every time they do something stupid . '' In this generation , Harry has been much more likely than William to be the one doing `` something stupid , '' she admitted . William was criticized last year for landing an Army helicopter in a field belonging to his girlfriend 's parents , but the incident did not cause the same uproar as Harry 's two gaffes . Harry may have engaged in more outrageous behavior than his older brother simply because of his personality , Junor added . `` He 's much more frivolous than William , more an impetuous party animal , '' she said , also describing him as `` not the brightest brain in Britain . '' `` The older child , because he knows there is a seriousness to the position he was born to , knows from day one what is expected of him , '' she said . `` The younger one has all of the frustrations of that without knowing -LRB- if -RRB- he will inherit the throne . '' Saunders , the author of `` Prince Harry : The Biography , '' has observed the same pattern . `` Even when -LRB- Harry -RRB- was a young boy he was a maverick , '' said Saunders . `` Harry used to play with the photographers , whereas you would never get that with William . '' `` William formed a bond with his father , '' based in part on the throne the two men expect to inherit -- which Harry likely never will , Saunders said . `` There 's a job that only William , his father and the queen can share . '' Not expecting to become king may have freed Harry , Saunders speculated . `` This started a long time ago . -LRB- Harry -RRB- said ' I am me , and I am going to be me . ' With Harry there have been several moments , gross errors . He has made missteps , '' Saunders said . `` You could argue that there are simply the mistakes of a young man growing up -- but William could never afford to make those kind of mistakes . '' It is a pattern that has been repeating , to an extent , in the royal family for generations . Prince Andrew , one of Prince Charles ' younger brothers , has something of a reputation as a playboy , while the queen 's late younger sister , Princess Margaret , bucked convention in her own day , seeking to marry a divorced man . The British newspaper , The Guardian summed up the piquancy of being a younger sibling of the sovereign in Margaret 's obituary in 2002 , noting she had been second in line to the throne throughout her teens , but was 11th by the time she died . `` They have all the pressures of being a member of the family , '' Junor said , `` without the reward of being the top person . '' | What type of syndrome may be to blame ? | 1016:1017 |
./cnn/stories/ecab7c8a66c148ef88709749799a6120fb7babac.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The murder of rapper Dolla reverberated throughout the music industry on Tuesday as police sought a motive for the brazen killing . Rap artist Dolla was known as a nice guy who survived a rough childhood . The aspiring Southern hip-hop artist , whose real name was Roderick Anthony Burton II , was gunned down in the busy parking lot of the upscale Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles , California , on Monday afternoon . Police later arrested Aubrey Louis Berry , 23 , at Los Angeles International Airport , a Los Angeles Police statement said . No other details were given about Berry . The 21-year-old rapper was based in Atlanta , Georgia . He was in Los Angeles to work on his debut album . Those who knew him said that despite coming from a rough background , Burton was extremely gracious and polite . `` Everything with Dolla was ` please ' and ` thank you , ' '' said Ant Rich , manager of A&R for Jive Records , who discovered the rapper for the label when Burton was 17 and helped sign him a year later . `` The streets did not define him at all . He was bigger than that . '' Dolla was a protégé of singer Akon , who collaborated with him on his first single , `` Who the F -- is That ? '' which also featured another high-profile artist , T-Pain . Another Dolla song , `` Feelin ' Myself , '' appeared on the soundtrack to the 2006 movie `` Step Up . '' According to his official MySpace page , Dolla was born in Chicago , Illinois , and his family relocated to Los Angeles soon after . He was 5 years old when he and his older sister , Divinity , witnessed their father committing suicide . After that incident , their mother moved the family to Atlanta , according to his biography . The Burton family released the following statement on Tuesday : `` First and foremost we , the family , would like to thank everyone for all their kind thoughts and prayers . Furthermore , the family would like to note that rumored details of the shooting on popular Web/blog sites are false . `` Due to the circumstances of the situation , no other information will be released at this time . We are grateful for your continuous support and would be very appreciative if we could mourn this loss in private . `` Additionally , information released before and after this official statement are not confirmed nor should they be considered accurate . '' Rich said Dolla , who also did some modeling for P. Diddy 's Sean John label , loved his family deeply . He was the guy with the great smile who would do things like offer to pick up the bill after a meeting with music executives , Rich said . `` You would tell him ` Look Dolla , you do n't have to do that because we get reimbursed for this ' and he would say ` No , no you got it last time , let me , ' '' Rich said . `` The world lost a really good kid and he had the biggest heart . '' DeAngelo Jones books talent for BET and got to know Dolla after he performed at the network 's `` Spring Bling '' event last year . He said the artist was humbled and grateful for the success he was starting to find in the industry . `` That energy was what drew me to him , '' said Jones , who stayed in touch with Dolla after the show and often ran into him at other events . `` A lot of times there are negative associations that go along with being a rapper , but he was not at all what the image of a rapper is portrayed to be . '' Jones said he was at the Beverly Center only a short time before the shooting occurred . Jones said it was unfortunate that Dolla 's slaying is yet another incident that will link hip-hop with violence . `` Hip-hop gets such a bad rap , ever since the deaths of Biggie and Tupac , '' Jones said . '' -LSB- Dolla -RSB- just wanted to be successful , help other people and do the right thing . What 's so hard for me is to see where his life was heading , because he was definitely on the right course . '' Jerry Barrow , senior editor for The Urban Daily , a publication devoted to African-Americans in pop culture , noted that it was unfortunate that Dolla is finding mainstream recognition posthumously . `` With his modeling and his music , he did more before the age of 20 than many people do , '' Barrow said . `` It 's a shame that this is how many people are now discovering him and his music . '' Rashan Ali , a disc jockey with Atlanta 's Hot 107.9 radio station , said the city has a thriving hip-hop community . Her station , which plays hip-hop , often has its lobby filled with aspiring artists trying to get their music heard . With the success of Atlanta-based artists like rappers T.I. , Outkast , and Young Jeezy , more and more young people are drawn to the area to try and make the connections that will find them fame , Ali said . That Dolla was killed while pursuing his craft is especially sad , she said . '' -LSB- Dolla -RSB- was minding his business , in Los Angeles trying to record his music and this happens , '' Ali said . `` It 's horrific and now a mother has to bury her child . It 's senseless . '' | Who was killed at the Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles ? | 51:55 |
./cnn/stories/34a976e6ff2a6c5cf3d4262b142413a7d1bca2d7.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Americans are spending less time stuck in traffic and wasting less gas , according to a new report . Americans spend a little less time in traffic , a study shows , but drivers on I-110 in Los Angeles might not notice . Rising joblessness and stinging gas prices have put the brakes on worsening trends in traffic congestion , according to a study issued Wednesday by the Texas Transportation Institute , the nation 's largest university-based transportation research facility . `` It 's temporary , but real , '' said institute spokesman Bernie Fette about the declines . `` As goes the American economy , so goes traffic . There 's fewer people going to work . '' The institute attributed the changes to the recession , but the U.S. economy did not begin to slow significantly until the end of 2007 . The organization began tracking traffic trends in 1982 , and by `` every measure , congestion has increased substantially '' in those 25 years , the latest Urban Mobility Report said . Not in 2007 . Researchers surveyed 439 urban centers in the United States and found that travelers spent one hour less stuck in traffic in 2007 than they did in 2006 and wasted 1 gallon less of gasoline . Congestion delay per traveler in 1982 was 13.8 hours . In 2005 , that number had almost tripled to 37.4 hours . But it was down to 36.1 hours in 2007 , representing a `` rare break in near-constant growth , '' the report said . Because the changes were nominal , most people may not have noticed any change in their commutes . The average person still needs 25 percent more time to travel during rush hour than during other parts of the day , Fette said . `` Things were so congested and bad , it was kind of hard to notice , '' Fette said . Among the report 's other findings : • American travelers still wasted 4.2 billion hours stuck in rush-hour traffic jams . That amounts to nearly one full work -LRB- or vacation -RRB- week for every traveler . • The overall cost , based on wasted fuel and lost productivity , reached $ 87.3 billion in 2007 , the report said . That 's more than $ 750 per person . • The amount of wasted fuel , from sitting idle with the motor running , topped 2.8 billion gallons , or three weeks ' worth of gas , for every traveler . Congestion has slowed but , said the report 's authors , that means only that things are getting worse slower , `` hardly a positive goal statement . '' The Urban Mobility Report database includes a few similar periods from regional recessions in the past -- northeastern states in the early 1980s , Texas in the mid-1980s , California in the early 1990s . In every case , when the economy rebounded , so did the congestion problem , the report said . That means congestion trends are likely to swing upward once the economy starts picking up . Americans might then have fatter pocketbooks , but they 'll go back to staring through their windshields a bit longer . CNN 's Moni Basu contributed to this report . | What has slowed ? | 430:431 |
./cnn/stories/a9b4c85dd3dfd637f4f6b8f387b535501b847a25.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- News stories saying authorities thwarted a plot to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Mexico are not true , the Mexican secretary of the navy said Tuesday . At least two Mexican media outlets published a supposed internal report on the plot that had been leaked to the media . But the navy said the report is `` fake . '' In a statement released Tuesday afternoon , only hours after the news stories were published , the navy said it `` categorically rejects the authorship of the alleged report in possession of some media outlets . '' `` The print seals and watermarks that appear on the document , as well as its format , do not correspond to the ones utilized by this federal government agency , '' the release read . The secretary of the navy reported in June 2010 that four people had been detained for allegedly being in possession of 20 kilograms of explosives in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City . According to the stories published by the two Mexican media outlets , the finding was related to a plot by the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab to attack the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City . Reports of a possible explosives cache came to the U.S. State Department in June 2010 , according to a State Department source . A Somali citizen was arrested , but when Mexican authorities looked into the matter , they found nothing conclusive , said the source , who asked not to be identified . The suspect was then released , the source said . The Mexican president 's office and the Mexican Embassy in Washington told CNN they had no information regarding the alleged plot . Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives in Washington also denied any knowledge of the report . | Is the report a fake | 59:62 |
./cnn/stories/b78e881949436a0cad56b60d5f2b974d40d24c1f.story | HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Deaths in Zimbabwe related to the cholera epidemic are approaching 2,000 , the World Health Organization said Tuesday , and close to 40,000 people have been affected by the preventable water-borne disease . Two men rest in a cholera rehydration tent on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border in December . Statistics released by the Geneva , Switzerland-based organization WHO on Tuesday show 1,937 people have died in the raging epidemic from the 38,334 who contracted the disease since its outbreak in August . Cholera has spread to neighboring countries South Africa and Botswana . The epidemic comes at a time when President Robert Mugabe 's government is facing its worst economic crisis , manifested in shortages of all essentials from food , fuel , cash , foreign currency and electricity and a hyperinflationary economy . Health experts have said Harare 's failure to import adequate stocks of water-treating chemicals is the main driver of the disease . Most residents have resorted to rivers and shallow wells for drinking water , because taps are usually dry . On top of that problem , the waste-disposing system has collapsed . Children can be seen playing on heaps of uncollected garbage in the suburbs of most urban areas in Zimbabwe . Last month , Mugabe 's government declared the cholera epidemic a national emergency . Since then , international governments and organizations such as WHO , Doctors Without Borders , Oxfam , USAID and other U.N. groups have moved in to combat the disease that has engulfed all of Zimbabwe 's provinces . But the situation has not immediately improved . Zimbabwean Health Minister David Parirenyatwa warned this month that the epidemic could get worse as the rainy season develops . Harare issued a warning Monday that some parts of the country are going to experience floods during rainy season , further compounding the fight against the disease . The season peaks in January or February and ends in late March . Mugabe and rival Morgan Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal in September to run the government after a hotly contested presidential election . It was widely hoped that the deal would be the panacea to the humanitarian and economic problems bewildering the once-prosperous Zimbabwe , but the pact is yet to take effect . The sides continue to debate the sharing of key Cabinet ministries such as information , local government , finance , defense and home affairs . | When did the outbreak start ? | 86:88 |
./cnn/stories/9094b997642c33043857cab0711e7ad7deab536e.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- They might make you punch the air or bring a tear to your eye : this month on the Screening Room , we 've picked our top ten life-affirming moments from the movies . Our number one : Jimmy Stewart discovers life is sweet in '' It 's A Wonderful Life '' From heartwarming classics to instant blockbusters , these are the on-screen scenes that never fail to fill you with joie de vivre . Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Post your comments to the Screening Room blog and we 'll publish the best . Read other CNN viewers ' favorite life-affirming movie moments , and tell us yours >> 1 . It 's A Wonderful Life -LRB- Frank Capra , 1946 -RRB- `` Remember , no man is a failure who has friends . '' Perennial Christmas favorite `` It 's A Wonderful Life '' sees habitual do-gooder George Bailey -LRB- Jimmy Stewart -RRB- pulled back from the brink of despair by wannabe angel Clarence . As Bailey embraces his life with joy , it 's his friend 's final sign-off that draws a sentimental tear from even the most stone-hearted viewer . 2 . Spartacus -LRB- Stanley Kubrick , 1960 -RRB- After the battle , Crassus -LRB- Laurence Olivier -RRB- promises to spare the rebel slaves ' lives if they give up Spartacus -LRB- Kirk Douglas -RRB- . In a stirring response , knowing that they are condemning themselves to death by crucifixion , they each rise with a cry of `` I am Spartacus ! '' One moment 's freedom has never tasted so sweet . 3 . Casablanca -LRB- Michael Curtiz , 1942 -RRB- A tense frisson of resentment ripples through Rick 's Bar as the boorish Nazi officers strike up in patriotic song . But a command from Lazlo -LRB- Paul Henreid -RRB- , a nod from Rick -LRB- Humphrey Bogart -RRB- , and a rousing chorus of the Marseillaise sees the hated occupiers put firmly back in their place . 4 . The Shawshank Redemption -LRB- Frank Darabont , 1994 -RRB- In the harsh conditions of Shawshank Penitentiary , Andy -LRB- Tim Robbins -RRB- seizes an opportunity to lock himself in an office and broadcast a Mozart aria over the PA system . The heavenly voices shine light into the darkest depths of despair , bringing humanity to a place where there is none . 5 . Saving Private Ryan -LRB- Steven Spielberg , 1998 -RRB- `` James -- earn this . Earn it . '' As the gunfire pauses , Captain Miller -LRB- Tom Hanks -RRB- implores Private Ryan -LRB- Matt Damon -RRB- -- and , by proxy , us -- not to waste a drop of life : the greatest of gifts is too precious to be frittered away . 6 . Blade Runner -LRB- Ridley Scott , 1982 -RRB- Roy the replicant 's deep humanity comes to the fore as his last moments slip away . Rutger Hauer 's lines on life 's fleeting nature -- `` lost in time like tears in the rain '' -- are both provocative and poignant : has he become more human than the people who seek to hunt him down ? 7 . American Beauty -LRB- Sam Mendes , 1999 -RRB- `` It 's hard to stay mad when there 's so much beauty in the world . '' Kevin Spacey 's closing speech inspires us to look at the world around us with fresh eyes , from the flaws in our loved ones to plastic bags caught in the wind . 8 . Silent Running -LRB- Douglas Trumbull , 1972 -RRB- `` Take good care of the forest , Huey . '' Renegade botanist Freeman Lowell -LRB- Bruce Dern -RRB- blasts the world 's last remaining plant life into deep space , with only a robot to tend to it . A timely reminder of how one man 's actions can preserve life and hope . 9 . Dead Poets ' Society -LRB- Peter Weir , 1989 -RRB- Mr Keating -LRB- Robin Williams -RRB- inspires his young charges to seize the day and throw off the shackles of their privileged yet stuffy school . We challenge you not to feel a lump in your throat when Todd -LRB- played by a young Ethan Hawke -RRB- and his classmates stand on the desk in spirited tribute to their disgraced teacher . 10 . Victory -LRB- John Huston , 1981 -RRB- `` Come on lads , we can win this one ! '' Ludicrous yet rousing , `` Victory '' pitted plucky British footballers , led by Michael Caine and fortified by Pele and Sly , against a dastardly German team in a high-profile game that 's weighted against them . Their plot ? To escape during half time . But who wants to flee midway when there 's a match to be won ? `` Victoire ! Victoire ! '' chant the crowd . Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Sound off and read others ' thoughts in the Screening Room blog . E-mail to a friend | Can you give some examples of full of life 's film ? | 50:55 |
./cnn/stories/da894eb6e5cc104f90ac65e8a124bfcfbfc6578d.story | In our Behind the Scenes series , CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news and analyze the stories behind the events . Keith Oppenheim is covering the controversy in Irving , Texas over authorities ' efforts to find illegal immigrants . IRVING , Texas -- I certainly do n't think I look like a cop . With a blue blazer , and scruffy khakis I take into the field , I have that look of a reporter who 's trying to dress up just enough to be professional , but no more . Protesters in Irving , Texas , demonstrate against a program that checks the immigration status of anyone arrested . So , it came as a surprise to me when I learned some Latino men , day laborers who were standing around and hoping to get some work , thought I was a federal immigration officer . `` You thought I was from immigration ? '' I asked one . `` Si '' , the man replied . My producer , Patricia Pedraza , translated the rest . `` The fear is with both immigration and the police . Now you can not trust absolutely anybody . '' In Irving , Texas , a Dallas suburb of about 200,000 people , right next to the big airport , an estimated 40 percent of the city is Latino , and anecdotally , we 're told there are a lot of undocumented workers here , people who are in the U.S. illegally , but clearly do n't view themselves as criminals . `` They take innocent people , they think we 're all the same , '' another undocumented worker told me . The fear is a reaction to what 's called the Criminal Alien Program . Since September of last year , Irving police started to refer anyone arrested in their community to federal authorities , who check their immigration status . `` It 's only for people who have violated Texas laws , and are arrested and brought into the Irving jail , '' said Larry Boyd , Irving 's police chief . As a result , referrals for deportations have shot up to 1,600 , more than 40 times the number from the year before . Statistics from police show that while some of those referrals were for people who committed serious crimes , the majority were a result of misdemeanors and traffic warrants . Many sources told me that a growing number of Latinos here are afraid to drive . The risk is being caught with a suspended license , going to jail and getting deported . See the effect the program has had on Irving '' But if some in the Latino community are lying low , advocates for immigrants are speaking out -- accusing the city and police of targeting Latinos without cause . `` We believe the Criminal Alien Program is fundamentally wrong , '' says Carlos Quintanilla , an activist . `` That there is racial profiling going on . '' The city 's mayor , Herbert Gears , disagrees . He says police are not taking on the role of immigration officers . `` We will make sure people are being treated fairly , '' he said . `` That people are n't being pulled over because of the color of their skin . '' As I spent more time in Irving , I came to realize that outside the large Latino community , there is broad support for the program . `` You have to start somewhere , '' said Sheik Shah , an Irving resident who emigrated to the U.S. from India and is now an American citizen . `` Because right now , we have so many loopholes for people to come in here and work illegally . '' Some were more direct . I read from two tall stacks of printed e-mail addressed to the City Council , which were overwhelmingly supported the Criminal Alien Program . One read : `` Please help deport all illegals . What part of illegal do they not understand ? '' Another : `` Thank God some people are doing something about this invasion . '' In the end , Irving is in the middle of a profound disagreement , between those who feel it 's wrong to refer people to immigration authorities for nonviolent crimes and misdemeanors , and those who believe illegal immigration has gone too far -- that something has to be done . As Irving City Council member Beth Van Duyne told me : `` We need to know who is in our city . If you 're committing a crime , we need to know who you are . I do n't think that 's too much to ask . '' E-mail to a friend | where are the immigrants ? | 30:33 |
./cnn/stories/20dd6a4ef907a87764d9e79b18dbe91eae002ced.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dozens of tips have poured in after California authorities released more than 100 photos of women and children on Thursday that are believed to have been taken by a serial killer who appeared on the `` Dating Game . '' Police determined Friday that two female minors in the pictures , taken in the 1970s , are alive and well . They have received tips on a handful of other women who could be dead or missing , according to Patrick Ellis , a detective with the Huntington Beach Police Department . `` We 've received several calls saying that someone in a photo could be so-and-so who 's been missing or found dead , '' Ellis said Friday . `` The response has been overwhelming , and that 's what we were looking for . '' Investigators are trying to determine whether any of the people in the photos were victims of Rodney Alcala , 66 , who was convicted in February of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old girl and raping and murdering four Los Angeles County women in the 1970s . A jury this week recommended he be sentenced to death . Ellis said police received tips on as many as four dead or missing women who were identified by other people calling and e-mailing about the photos . `` People are saying that they recognize someone from their past , from school or college or the neighborhood beach , '' he said . The two women who identified themselves from the photos on Friday were minors at the time the pictures were taken and are now in their 40s , Ellis said . Police are not releasing their identities , though Ellis said they live in California . Nancy Grace blog : See the photos Huntington Beach Police are contacting law enforcement authorities across the country with information about dead or missing women who were identified by people calling or e-mailing on Friday , Ellis said . He stressed that police have not confirmed that any of the women or children in the photos are dead or missing . The portrait-style photographs were discovered in a storage unit Alcala kept in Seattle , Washington , said Orange County district attorney spokeswoman Susan Kang Schroeder . The locker also contained earrings that belonged to Robin Samsoe , the 12-year-old girl whom Alcala abducted and killed in 1979 . The discovery of the earring in the locker has raised speculation that there may be other victims or that the photographs were trophies to Alcala , she said . `` We know that Mr. Alcala used his photography as a ruse to get close to his victims , '' she said . Authorities already believe that Alcala may be responsible for deaths in New York , Schroeder said . `` It 's very possible , '' Schroeder said . `` Mr. Alcala is a predatory monster and we believe that he destroyed many lives everywhere he went . '' Alcala was convicted in 1972 of kidnapping and molesting a child in Los Angeles County in 1968 , according to the Orange County District Attorney 's office . After serving a 34-month sentence , he was released . In 1978 , Alcala appeared as a `` Bachelor No. 1 '' on `` The Dating Game . '' Jed Mills , who played `` Bachelor No. 2 , '' said he had an almost immediate aversion to Alcala . `` Something about him , I could not be near him , '' Mills recalled . `` I am kind of bending toward the other guy to get away from him , and I do n't know if I did that consciously . But thinking back on that , I probably did . '' But Alcala succeeded in charming Bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw from the other side of the `` Dating Game '' wall . But she declined her date with Alcala . Anyone with information regarding the identities of the women and children in the photographs found in Alcala 's storage locker is asked to contact the Orange County District Attorney 's Office or the Huntington Beach Police Department . CNN 's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report . | What did the jury recommend for Rodney Alcala ? | 194:197 |
./cnn/stories/3e2589ccaf5cbc10b2d47020a607208755412b99.story | ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Violence echoed across a volatile Pakistani province and an adjacent tribal region on Saturday , with dozens reported killed in the latest military push , a drone strike , and a car bombing targeting a school bus . A Pakistani girl displaced by the military 's offensive against the Taliban rests at a camp Saturday north of the capital . Pakistan 's artillery and airstrikes against Taliban militants in North West Frontier Province left 47 suspected militants dead in operations over the last 24 hours , the military said . `` Security forces are closing in from different directions and have been able to inflict more casualties , '' the military said in the daily roundup of its offensive in the Swat district and adjoining regions . The troops have been fighting to oust militants from districts across Pakistan 's North West Frontier Province . Forty-five people were killed in various areas of Dir , where four militants were arrested . The military conducted search-and-destroy operations in Shangla district , where they targeted terrorist hideouts and reported the arrest of one militant leader and the death of another . In Swat , the military said it killed a militant commander and were getting closer to the city of Mingora , where they isolated and blocked `` the movement of fleeing terrorists , '' amid the sound of intense exchanges of fire . Watch Pakistani troops pound Taliban positions '' In the adjacent tribal region , a missile believed fired by a drone overnight struck a madrassa , a religious school , a Pakistani intelligence official said . More than 20 people were killed , according to local and Taliban sources . The strike was near the village of Mir Ali in North Waziristan , one of seven districts in Pakistan 's tribal regions . The official asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media . According to a count by CNN , this is the 16th suspected missile strike in Pakistan this year . Pakistan has complained repeatedly about what it says are American airstrikes on its territory . The U.S. military in Afghanistan has not commented on the strikes , which typically target Taliban fighters in the border region . But the United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the capability to launch missiles from remote-controlled drones . In Peshawar , at least nine people were killed and 33 hurt Saturday when a car bomb exploded while a school bus passed on a road , local authorities said . The school bus was carrying handicapped children . It is not clear if any of them were killed , but as many as seven were injured . Peshawar is the capital of North West Frontier Province . More than a million people have been displaced in northwestern Pakistan as a result of the two-week-old military offensive with the Taliban , the U.N. refugee agency said Saturday . Antonio Guterres , high commissioner for refugees , said 1,171,682 people have been registered as internally displaced people . These are in addition to the 553,916 displaced people who 've fled eruptions of fighting in the tribal areas and North West Frontier Province since August . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report . | What was the death count when a car bomb exploded ? | 81:82 |
./cnn/stories/c444b248d4991f65dceed91d21d8154246ff2ce1.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Catholic Church in Ireland is going high-tech in a bid to reverse a dramatic decline in the number of priests . An establishment viewed as a bastion of tradition is turning to a new app to encourage more `` applications . '' The app , says the church , is `` designed to promote vocations to the priesthood . '' It is being hailed as a `` world first '' by the church in Ireland . `` The app is an original approach to assist current and future generations seeking to investigate and find information on vocations to the diocesan priesthood in Ireland , '' a statement issued ahead of the launch said . The number of new recruits to the priesthood has fallen sharply in the recent decades -- and as Ireland has become engulfed in a series of child sex abuse scandals over the past few years . The situation led to a respected former Catholic bishop in Ireland to call for an end to clerical celibacy . Edward Daly , the retired bishop of Derry , said allowing clergymen to marry would ease many of the church 's problems . Daly told CNN he was worried about the decreasing number of priests and the number of older priests . The issue `` needs to be addressed and addressed urgently , '' Daly said , adding he found it `` heartbreaking '' priests were forced to resign or prospective priests were unable to join the priesthood because of the celibacy rule . The new ` Vocations ' app was designed by Father Paddy Rushe and developed by the company Magic Time Apps , based in Dublin . It is available to download for free from the Apple iPhone App Store , said the church . Some of the features of the app , according to the church , are : Connection to Twitter and Facebook ; Social networking at the service of vocations ; Contact details and statistics on the 26 dioceses of Ireland ; Frequently asked questions to assist a person to discern his vocation ; News feed running from the national vocations website ; Novel and cursory ` tests ' to enable the user to reflect on vocation potential . `` Future updates will include a `` prayer counter '' to allow people pledge a period of prayer for vocations and a picture gallery which will include some images from the life of a seminarian , '' the church statement said . The launch of the new app marks the official handover from Rushe as the National Coordinator for Diocesan Vocations to Father Willie Purcell and his team , said the church . The app is part of a campaign promoted on the church website -- http://www.vocations.ie -- and follows ` Priesthood Sunday , ' which was on September 25 . The website called it `` an opportunity to highlight and promote particularly the vocation to the priesthood . '' A statement on the website stressed more priests are needed : `` The number of priests per Catholic has declined over the past 40 years . This makes it more difficult for individual parishioners to establish a close relationship with any one particular priest . '' `` Also , priests are no longer the only ones who offer pastoral care to our people , '' the statement continued . `` Yet without a priest , no parish is able to be a Eucharistic community . It is important to reaffirm the importance of the priesthood of Jesus Christ and its central place in the life of our church . '' | The application is a first for the church ? | 38:45 |
./cnn/stories/813793d5d659178c8a2e0848d0557c530f8e79e6.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Japan 's defense minister has ordered two destroyers to help fight piracy in the waters off Somalia , officials with the defense ministry told CNN . Pirates are caught on camera off the Somalian coast . The Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers will be dispatched Saturday , the defense ministry said . The order , which the Cabinet approved earlier Friday , marks the first policing action for the MSDF , whose major missions overseas have focused on background support such as transport and refueling , Japan 's Kyodo news agency said . A bill approved on the same day allows the MSDF to be deployed in piracy-infested waters as needed . The move comes after Somali pirates released a Panamanian-flagged , Japanese-owned vessel that was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden in November , according to a non-governmental group that monitors piracy . The ship was released last month . The 18 Filipino and five South Korean crew members were reportedly unharmed . It was unclear whether the pirates were paid a ransom to release the ship . Japan Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the provision would be used on an interim basis , the news agency reported . Two destroyers with about 400 personnel and eight coast guard officers will be aboard the ships , whose escort mission will start in early April after about three weeks of sailing toward Somalia , according to the news agency . | When will mission start ? | 226:228 |
./cnn/stories/03a41fed43538ba4ff986195267e7ca86ebf97c5.story | COLOMBO , Sri Lanka -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sri Lanka 's government said Monday its forces had killed Tamil rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran as he attempted to flee , according to the country 's state-run news agency . The Sri Lankan government says Tamil chief Velupillai Prabhakaran is dead . The Tamil rebel group , formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- , is aware of the government 's report but has yet to confirm Prabhakaran 's death or the deaths of its other leaders , according to a posting on the pro-rebel Web site , Tamilnet.com . It said `` initial reports indicate a determined massacre by the Sri Lanka Army . '' Prabhakaran was one of 19 senior LTTE leaders that the government has identified among the bodies found as its troops completed mop-up operations after routing the Tigers , the defense ministry said . The leaders include Prabhakaran 's eldest son , Charles Anthony , as well as Pottu Amman , LTTE 's intelligence leader , according to the ministry . Prabhakaran founded the rebel group , which has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries . It pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks and , according to the FBI , invented the explosive suicide belt . It was also behind the assassination of two world leaders -- the only terrorist organization to do so . Watch more on the possible end of fighting '' Prabhakaran is accused of masterminding the killing of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 in the Tamil-dominated Indian state of Tami Nadu as he campaigned for a second term . Sri Lankan authorities allege that Prabhakaran was avenging Gandhi 's decision to send Indian peacekeepers to Sri Lanka . Two years later a Tigers suicide bomber , allegedly acting under Prabhakaran 's orders , detonated explosives that killed Sri Lanka 's then-president , Ranasinghe Premadasa , during a rally . Over the weekend , the militants offered to `` silence '' their guns after an intense military offensive decimated their ranks , pushed them from their stronghold in the north and east of the country , and cornered the remaining rebels on a small stretch of land . If the rebels honor their pledge , it would potentially mark the end of the longest-running civil war in Asia . Prabhakaran 's supporters considered him a hero with a single-minded focus -- to fight for the rights of his people . The Sri Lankan government deemed him a war criminal with a disregard for civilian casualties . He was wanted by Interpol on charges including terrorism and organized crime . In the past it has been reported he wore a cyanide capsule around his neck -- to swallow and kill himself rather than risk capture . And he reportedly expected the same dedication from his troops . As a result , few Tigers have been captured alive . Sri Lanka 's President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to announce that `` military operations '' against the Tiger rebels have ended in an address to parliament and country on Tuesday . Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka '' The rebels have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983 . Journalist Iqbal Athas contributed to this report . | What happened since 1983 ? | 534:548 |
./cnn/stories/6dd722b8d5fcb782f83a82af4c6533aabcf8e97c.story | Santiago , Chile -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived Tuesday morning in Chile , bringing with her more than two dozen satellite phones and a pledge of U.S. commitment to the earthquake-damaged nation . `` The United States is ready to respond to the requests that the government of Chile has made so we can provide not only solidarity but specific supplies that are needed to help you recover from the earthquake , '' Clinton said at a brief news conference with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet . `` The people of Chile are responding with resilience and strength , '' Clinton said . The secretary of state said she brought with her 25 satellite phones , one of which she presented to Bachelet at the news conference . Eight water purification units are on their way to Chile , Clinton said , and the United States will provide a mobile field hospital unit with surgical capabilities . The United States will also work to provide autonomous dialysis machines , electricity generators , medical supplies and portable bridges , Clinton said . The secretary of state also said that Americans would be told how they can contribute to the recovery effort . In addition to meeting with Bachelet at the airport in Santiago , Clinton also met with President-elect Sebastian Piñera , who will be sworn in next week . `` I have been visiting sites of disaster for more than 30 years ... -LSB- and -RSB- it is very clear to me that Chile is much better prepared , much quicker to respond , more able to do so , '' Clinton said at a news conference with the president-elect . She congratulated Piñera , a conservative billionaire businessman , on his inauguration . Piñera extended an invitation to President Obama to visit Chile . Bachelet leaves office with high approval ratings for having steered the country through the global economic downturn and promoted progressive social reforms . Clinton is in the midst of a six-nation tour of Latin America , planned before the earthquake . She attended Monday 's inauguration in Uruguay of President Jose Mujica , and then traveled to Buenos Aires , Argentina , to meet with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner . Clinton next travels to Brazil , where she is expected to talk with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about his planned trip to Iran . The United States and other nations believe Iran has undertaken a program to build nuclear weapons , an assertion Iran denies . She will stop in Costa Rica for meetings with President Oscar Arias and President-elect Laura Chinchilla , who takes office in May . She also will attend Pathways for Prosperity , a meeting of hemispheric officials . The initiative includes such things as `` microcredit '' loans and ways in which women can be empowered , a State Department spokesman has said . Clinton 's final stop will be Guatemala . She will meet with Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom and leaders of other Central American countries and the Dominican Republic before returning to Washington . The State Department has `` strongly '' urged U.S. citizens to avoid tourism and non-essential travel to Chile after the massive earthquake . | What did Hillary Clinton bring to Chile ? | 24:28 |
./cnn/stories/ac144c6e928c6cb3ba0ad8f919541a8c7be07dfd.story | Editor 's Note : This is the fourth in a five-part series exploring Judge Sonia Sotomayor 's background and life with those who know her , revealing the experiences that might shape her views as a Supreme Court justice . Sonia Sotomayor is flanked by her supervisor , Warren Murray , and D.A. Robert Morgenthau , right , in 1983 . NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor graduated with honors from Ivy League schools . But she may have learned some of her most memorable lessons as a young prosecutor , following police into abandoned tenements and tracking down witnesses on the grimy streets of New York . Sotomayor joined the Manhattan District Attorney 's office in 1979 during an epic crime wave . Muggings , burglaries and assaults were rampant ; homicides topped 1,800 a year . She was recruited from Yale Law School by Robert M. Morgenthau , Manhattan 's district attorney . She was 25 , and her starting salary was $ 17,000 . The cases in Trial Bureau 50 seasoned the idealistic young lawyer and honed her trial skills . She could shred a witness on cross-examination and move a jury to tears , former colleagues recalled . New York City was awash in heroin , street crime and gun violence . To prepare for trials , she followed police into tenement shooting galleries , scaled rickety staircases in dilapidated buildings and fought off the stench of squalor to talk to reluctant witnesses . Sotomayor 's former colleagues and her legal foes describe her as intense , driven and politically astute . As a prosecutor , she had a commanding presence and put in long hours , chugging several cans a day of the diet soft drink Tab and chain-smoking cigarettes . -LRB- She no longer smokes . -RRB- Watch how she made an impression on fellow prosecutors '' Trial Bureau 50 , with its crowded cubicles and walls painted the color of putty , has sent many lawyers onto distinguished careers in public service , including the late Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and John Kennedy Jr. . Sotomayor 's five years there , say Manhattan prosecutors past and present , make her uniquely qualified for the nation 's highest court . If confirmed , she would be the only justice who prosecuted criminal cases , presided over them and handled criminal appeals . See what would set Sotomayor apart on the court '' `` If you can handle a felony case load in New York County , you can run a small country , '' said Warren Murray , who ran the bureau when Sotomayor worked there , and still does . `` I think Sonia 's most interesting days were in the district attorney 's office , '' said Hugh H. Mo , a former homicide prosecutor who supervised Sotomayor and tried cases with her . `` You can grow up in the projects and still be very sheltered . She got her education on the streets of Harlem . '' Like most rookies , Sotomayor started with misdemeanors , juggling 60 to 80 cases at a time , working 12-hour days in the 1930s-era building on the tip of Manhattan , and pulling an occasional shift in night court . `` Some of the judges liked to use the new assistants to clear their calendars , '' Morgenthau recalled . `` She quickly established herself as somebody the judges could n't push around . '' On her second trial , Sotomayor met Dawn Cardi , a rookie Legal Aid lawyer who was trying her first case . They became best friends . `` We were both baby attorneys , '' Cardi said . `` She 's really , really smart and very well-prepared . She was an excellent trial attorney . She had a talent for it . '' Another defense attorney , Gerald Lefcourt , recalled Sotomayor as `` a very zealous prosecutor , '' adding , `` She did n't see gray . She only saw black and white . '' Sotomayor moved up quickly in the D.A. 's office . It was n't long before she was prosecuting murder cases . To prepare for trials , she hit the streets , working junkies and street characters for information and comforting grieving families . The work was sometimes unnerving , but it could also provide an adrenalin rush . `` You could feel the violence . It was palpable , '' said Mo , who with Sotomayor accompanied detectives of Harlem 's 28th precinct into top-floor apartments in six-story tenements to prepare for what became known as the `` Tarzan Burglar '' case . `` Normal people do not walk into these buildings , '' he recalled . `` They were hangouts for drug addicts . '' Robert M. Morgenthau remembers Sotomayor for her role in both the Tarzan Burglar case and in winning the office 's first conviction under a rewritten child pornography law . Sotomayor mentioned the lessons of the Tarzan case during her confirmation hearings . She said the case taught her `` the tragic consequences of needless deaths . '' A family was destroyed after one of the siblings was killed by a bullet in the head , she said . `` They scattered to the four winds , and only one brother remained in New York who could testify , '' she said Tuesday . The Tarzan case was Sotomayor 's rite of passage as a prosecutor . She sat second chair , meaning she assisted Mo , the lead prosecutor , at the murder trial of Richard Maddicks . Read the complaint -LRB- pdf -RRB- Maddicks earned his nickname by swinging from building to building with rope and cables , Mo said . Along his route , he burglarized top-floor apartments , robbed residents and shot people who got in his way . Sotomayor convinced Maddicks ' girlfriend , Mabel Ivey , to testify , pointing out that she could shave years off her sentence in another case if she cooperated . They linked the murder weapon to Maddicks through a neighbor who sold liquor after-hours through a hole cut in the door of his basement apartment . Sotomayor questioned the man , Charles `` Wirdell '' Brown , in court , Mo recalled . It was a high point in the colorful trial . She had the jury in tears as she questioned the girlfriend of a man fatally shot by the Tarzan Burglar . Sotomayor impressed Mo with her organizational skills and ability to boil a complicated case into the essential elements that resonate with jurors . She helped write his opening statement for the five-week trial and -- long before computers and PowerPoint -- crafted People 's Exhibit One , a large poster-board chart illustrating the pattern linking the Tarzan Burglar to his crimes . The chart somehow survived nearly three decades in Mo 's basement laundry room . During the trial , Sotomayor handled the questioning of half the 40 witnesses . Maddicks was convicted of murder , robbery and related crimes and sentenced to 62 1/2 years to life in prison . He 's still serving time `` upstate , '' as Manhattan 's prosecutors say . Even 30 years ago , it was obvious Sotomayor was going places . See her life story told in pictures '' `` Did anybody think she was going to the Supreme Court ? Of course not , '' said Cardi . `` But when you look back , you see she always stood out . She was always really a cut above . '' `` She was very focused , very ambitious , very competent , very hardworking , '' Mo recalled . What struck him most , he said , was her confidence . `` She wanted to reach the highest pinnacle of the profession and did n't think that was far-fetched . You could see it . She wanted to make history , '' Mo said . | What do former colleagues say about her ? | 189:202 |
./cnn/stories/ebe35f41ec76aacf87c5d018ae97dd6441d111df.story | SAVANNAH , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Walt Peters knows what it 's like to fear for his life . He knows how it feels to board a plane , deploying for combat . He knows the feeling of making it home alive . Walt Peters is often among the last people soldiers see as they deploy and the first they see upon their return . That 's why the retired Vietnam veteran has stood outside at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah , Georgia , for the past four years as a beacon of pride and support , welcoming home returning soldiers and wishing `` Godspeed '' to those deploying . `` To me , if it was n't for our soldiers and our veterans , we would not have this beautiful country , '' says Peters . `` These guys are our freedom . '' Peters , 64 , has been one of the last people that about 20,000 soldiers so far have seen before boarding the plane for the war zone -- and one of the first seen upon return . No matter what time the soldiers ' flights are arriving or departing -- many take place in the middle of the night -- Peters is there to shake their hands and give them a token of support : a small American flag . Some of those flags , Peters says , have gone to Iraq and back . `` When they touch that flag , we 're giving them a piece of our country , saying , ` Thank you . ' '' Peters is not the only volunteer showing his support at each flight . But he does all of this nearly blind . He says learned he had chemical diabetes nearly 10 years ago after he was exposed to Agent Orange during his Vietnam tours . He has lost almost all of his sight over the past few years , but that has n't depleted his dedication to the soldiers . `` When I went to Vietnam on my tours I 'd never had this . I had never had nobody say , ` We appreciate your service . We thank you for what you 're doing for our freedom , ' '' Peters says . `` When they get on that plane , they 're gon na know that this old Vietnam vet cares . '' Peters first became involved greeting flights through the Savannah Red Cross in 2004 when a friend from his fraternal Moose Lodge brought him to welcome a returning flight . Peters has since become a flight greeting leader , bringing in and training his own volunteers . His crew includes Moose members and Vietnam veterans . So many flights come in , Peters says , that it 's impossible to be present for all of them . He 's worked as many as three flights in one day , in a 26-hour period . Watch how Peters sends off and greets deploying and returning U.S. soldiers '' Peters and his volunteers arrive two hours before a flight 's arrival or departure to set up their tables and brew coffee . He makes sure he walks around and talks with the troops when they come through for processing . `` I 'm a combat veteran ; the soldiers know I can relate to them , '' Peters says . `` I tell them , ` It 's OK to be scared . You stay scared , you stay alive . ' '' Peters also talks to the soldiers about the Adopt-A-Soldier program , asking them to fill out a card so a family can `` adopt '' them and send care packages and necessities to them in Iraq or Afghanistan . Watch Peters and volunteers interacting with U.S. soldiers before their deployment to Iraq '' Peters says the most important thing is to show the soldiers `` the support and the spirit that they need behind them as they step up to get on that plane . '' `` Sometimes it breaks your heart because you ask yourself , ` Which one of these beautiful people is not coming home ? ' '' But as long as there are soldiers deploying and returning , Peters says he 'll be there . Watch Peters talk about one of the highlights of his military career '' `` I see the roots of our country and our future in every one of these soldiers , '' he says . | Did Walt Peters lose his sight due to chemical diabetes ? | 311:317 |
./cnn/stories/d95006e3d974c78a512920f598776ee5b3db2b9c.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The French Navy captured 11 suspected pirates off the coast of Kenya Wednesday , the French Ministry of Defense announced . The French frigate Nivose , pictured last year patrolling the Gulf of Aden . The Navy tracked the pirates overnight after they attacked a ship called the Safmarine Asia . The French launched a helicopter from the frigate Nivose to head off the attack Tuesday night , then seized the suspected pirates Wednesday morning , the statement said . Both the European Union and the United States have been patrolling the region since an upsurge in piracy off the coast of Somalia last year . U.S. snipers killed three pirates holding a U.S. ship captain hostage Sunday . The captain , Richard Phillips , was held in a lifeboat for days after his ship , the Maersk Alabama , was seized last week But pirates in Somalia vowed revenge , saying that an attack on another ship , the Liberty Sun , was a response to the killing of Phillips ' captors . `` It was a revenge , '' Hassan Mohamud told a Somali journalist . `` The U.S. ship escaped by a matter of chance . '' | Where were they captured ? | 11:16 |
./cnn/stories/10a4591e9ae2712638501acf4c3af619c352bbd8.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Missing Florida pilot Robert Wiles , who was believed kidnapped and held for ransom 21 months ago , now is believed to be dead , and a former co-worker is in custody , accused of his death , the FBI said Friday . Authorities arrested Stobert '' Tobie '' Holt Jr. , 42 , Friday in Orlando , Florida , after he arrived from Colombia , where he was on a business trip , according to Tampa-based FBI spokesman David Couvertier . Holt faces state charges of first degree murder , kidnapping , extortion , and intent to inflict death or serious bodily harm , the spokesman said . The arrest was made by police from Lakeland , Florida , the Polk County Sheriff 's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement , who were accompanied by FBI agents , he said . Though authorities now believe Wiles was killed , they do n't know where his body is , he said . The arrest was uneventful , Couvertier said : `` Holt was advised of his rights and said nothing . '' A four-count grand jury indictment was unsealed Friday in Polk County , where Wiles , then 26 , ran a branch of his family 's international aircraft maintenance business , National Flight Service , at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport . The FBI said Holt worked for Wiles at the time he disappeared . He was among several employees who told investigators they last saw Wiles on April 1 , 2008 , at the office and had no clue what happened to him . The FBI wo n't reveal the suspected motive or why agents believe it was Holt who left a uniquely signed ransom note demanding money two days after Wiles disappeared . At the time , agents said Wiles ' father tried to comply with the demand to get back his son , but heard nothing . Holt is described as an employee who , at least at one time , had a supervisory role at the company . Authorities say he now works as a contract employee doing similar flight maintenance work at Patrick Air Force base near Cape Canaveral in Florida . Wiles was single . When he vanished without a trace , fellow employees said they were stunned . `` All that he ever worked on was customer relations . Making things better for the company , '' co-worker Jerry Grief said at the time . `` Make the customer happy and make them come back . '' The FBI said it traveled to six countries and three states tracing Wiles ' trips and interviewing business associates . Without disclosing details , agents said the investigation led them back to Holt and his whereabouts the day Wiles disappeared . Several agencies , including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Polk County Sheriff 's Department joined the investigation . The case will be prosecuted by state authorities in Polk County . Wiles ' parents , who live in Ohio , had offered a $ 250,000 reward for their son 's safe return . They are said to be in seclusion after being notified about Holt 's arrest . When CNN interviewed them last year , Wiles ' mother , Pamela , said , `` We 're willing to work with them and do anything to get him back . We just want Robert back . And they can just go and live their life , and we just want him back . '' The FBI will not reveal what makes agents believe Wiles is dead . `` Our investigation and evidence obtained to date indicate he 's dead , '' Couvertier said . CNN Senior Producer Rich Phillips contributed to this report . | What wiles ran a branch of his family 's ? | 51:52 |
./cnn/stories/dd45c2eb3083d7bbfa9e06bd0f0e80c9b07f0ec2.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At 44 meters long -LRB- 145 ft -RRB- , Hemisphere is the largest sailing catamaran in the world . The makers of Hemisphere believe this is first catamaran superyacht to hit the water and could revolutionize the way people think about sailing . But you 'll need deep pockets to afford this kind of luxury -- the `` supercat '' costs more than $ 250,000 a week to lease . It took more than three years for the first sketch of the vessel to become a reality . Hemisphere made her debut on the world stage last week with Monaco as the appropriately lavish backdrop . While it has taken longer than anticipated to build , those behind the project insist she is worth the wait . `` The level of finishing and luxury of Hemisphere brings her to the category of a superyacht , '' says chief naval architect Marc Van Peteghem . Peteghem believes those in the superyacht market are increasingly conscious of their environmental image and are turning to sailing vessels as a greener solution to luxury travel . He says the catamaran is far greener than motor boats , making the most of nature , rather than fuel , to move . Hemisphere 's interior has been tailored specifically to the luxury market ; 17 different types of granite have been used inside and 16 leather finishes have been applied , according to Burgess , the yacht 's charterers . There are also five spacious ensuite cabins to accommodate passengers with the main cabin featuring complete 360-degree views . Hemisphere is decked out with a host of toys for the discerning seafarer to play with -- smaller speed boats to go water skiing and wake boarding , water scooters and diving gear , as well as a jacuzzi on the fly bridge . It also comes fully equipped with the latest in diving gear to make the most of the boat 's shallow waters capabilities . The catamaran only has a draft of 3.1 meters , meaning it can explore areas previously out of bounds for superyachts . | How many types of granite have been used ? | 222:223 |
./cnn/stories/7dd261359e34705884f16a17bcb5b9264257fdcb.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A judge has ordered mediation in the case of a teen girl who says her family threatened to kill her for converting from Islam to Christianity . Rifqa Bary , 17 , ran away from her family in Columbus , Ohio , in July . She claims her father threatened to kill her . The 17-year-old girl , Rifqa Bary , ran away from her family in Columbus , Ohio , in July and took refuge in the home of the Rev. Blake Lorenz with the Global Revolution Church in Orlando , Florida . Bary 's parents want her back home . At a court hearing Thursday in Orlando , the girl 's parents denied all the allegations against them . Also at the hearing , Judge Daniel Dawson of the Orange County Juvenile Court ordered the girl and her parents to seek the mediation within 30 days . The judge had previously ruled that the girl will remain in Florida foster care until the allegations are resolved . The parents , Mohamed and Aysha Bary , could not attend the hearing in person but listened through a telephone conference as their lawyer spoke for them . They denied they ever threatened to kill their daughter because she converted to Christianity . Mohamed Bary told CNN he believes a lot of false information has been circulated about the case . `` We would n't do her harm , '' the father said , adding that he knew his daughter was involved with Christian organizations . `` I have no problem with her practicing any faith , '' he said . But Bary conceded he would have preferred that his daughter practice the Muslim faith first . The teen had heard of pastor Lorenz and his church through a prayer group on Facebook . The girl 's parents reported her missing to Columbus police , who found her two weeks later in Florida through cell phone records . The teenager , in a sworn affidavit , claims her father , 47 , was pressured by the mosque the family attends in Ohio to `` deal with the situation . '' In the court filing , Rifqa Bary stated her father said , `` If you have this Jesus in your heart , you are dead to me ! '' The teenager claims her father added , `` I will kill you ! '' Watch the teen talk about her fears '' Also at Thursday 's hearing , the judge sealed a report on the girl from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and issued a gag order for attorneys in the case . At one point during the hearing , the girl 's court-appointed guardian , Krista Bartholomew , told the court : `` This is not a holy war but a case about a broken family . '' Outside the courthouse after the hearing , a Muslim activist and several Christian activists exchanged words over the case . Watch the heated exchanges '' Another hearing is scheduled for September 29 if the family is not able to resolve the conflict through mediation . | What was the judge 's orders ? | 8:9 |
./cnn/stories/1f86d7d88613793cc882104bdb88f52aee2d2836.story | -LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- When the first book of the `` Twilight '' series was released in October 2005 , no one could have guessed the phenomenon it would become . Four years later , 70 million copies have been sold worldwide . The books have spent 143 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list , and the first movie in `` The Twilight Saga '' grossed $ 380 million at the box office . The story , a love triangle between a vampire , a human and a werewolf , has ignited an international frenzy , and the woman behind it all is 35-year-old author Stephenie Meyer . Once a stay-at-home mom , Stephenie says the idea for `` Twilight '' came to her in a dream . `` It was two people in kind of a little circular meadow with really bright sunlight , and one of them was a beautiful , sparkly boy and one was just a girl who was human and normal , and they were having this conversation . The boy was a vampire , which is so bizarre that I 'd be dreaming about vampires , and he was trying to explain to her how much he cared about her and yet at the same time how much he wanted to kill her , '' Stephenie says . `` It really captured my imagination . '' That dream became Chapter 13 of `` Twilight . '' Oprah.com : Get your Twilight '' primer Before the night of the dream , Stephenie says she had lost herself a little in the work of motherhood . `` I was really burned out . I really had gotten into that zombie mom way of doing things where I was n't Stephenie anymore , '' she says . '' -LSB- Writing `` Twilight -RSB- was a release . That was the dam bursting . I 'd been bottling up who I was for so long , I needed an expression . '' Though she 'd been married for 15 years , Stephenie says she did n't tell her husband at first about her new passion . `` My husband thought I 'd gone crazy . I 'd barely spoken to him because I had all these things going on in my head , and I was n't telling him about this weird vampire obsession because I knew he 'd freak out and think I 'd lost my mind , '' she says . At first , Stephenie was documenting her dream only to make sure she would remember it , she says . `` The dream was just something I was so interested in , and it was so different from what my everyday was at the time , '' she says . `` I just wanted to remember it so badly . That 's why I started writing it down -- not because I thought this would be a great story for a novel . '' Oprah.com : Read an excerpt from `` Twilight '' Though Stephenie had been an avid reader all her life , she says she was never a writer before `` Twilight . '' `` It seems kind of presumptuous to me -LSB- to think -RSB- anyone else would want to read the things that are in my head , '' she says . `` I did n't think of it -LSB- as a book -RSB- . I did the dream . And then I wanted to see what would happen with them . It was just me spending time with this fantasy world , and then when it was finished it was like , ` This is long enough to be a book ! ' '' Before `` Twilight , '' Stephenie says she read every type of book except for horror . `` That was the genre I just knew I was too chicken for , '' she says . `` I read a little bit of everything . ... When I was 8 , I was reading `` Gone with the Wind '' and `` Pride and Prejudice '' and all that , not knowing it was n't my reading level . '' Oprah.com : Gift ideas for every reader on your list Now that `` Twilight '' is a huge success , it 's hard to imagine any literary agent rejecting it . But Stephenie says she 'd submitted it to plenty of people before she was signed . `` I got nine rejections , five no answers and then one ` I 'd like to read more , ' '' she says . Stephenie says it was her sister who really pushed her to keep submitting it to more agents . `` She was the only one in the world who knew what I was doing , '' she says . These days , the `` Twilight `` series is more than just a literary hit . The first two movies have also created a stir and catapulted three young stars into the limelight . British actor Robert Pattinson , who plays the lead vampire Edward Cullen , is now an international heartthrob . `` I knew that the problem was going to be Edward , because he 's the perfect vampire , '' Stephenie says . `` How do you cast that from your pool of human actors ? '' When producers found Robert , Stephenie says it was a perfect fit . `` He 's got something about him . He does n't look like everybody else . There 's something unusual , '' she says . `` There are moments where he looks exactly like he did in my head . '' Stephenie says casting Bella , the book 's protagonist , was a bit easier . `` There 's plenty of people who look like the girl next door , '' she says . `` We were really lucky -LSB- to cast -RSB- Kirsten Stewart , who is a phenomenal actress . I did n't know if we were going to get that caliber . '' Though Twi-hards , as fans are called , know most everything about the series , Stephenie says there is one secret she 's never revealed before . `` There was a different ending to `` New Moon '' originally , '' she says . `` It was a much quieter book . It was very much all in Bella 's head . '' Oprah.com : Are you a Twi-hard ? Take the quiz ! Stephenie says fans have her mother to thank for `` New Moon 's '' current dramatic ending . `` My mom 's like : ` You know , Stephenie , maybe a little more action at the end would be a good idea . Maybe you need that , ' '' Stephenie says . `` And she was right , as usual . '' Find out more about `` New Moon '' Her mother 's suggestion prompted Stephenie to introduce the Volturi , an all-powerful coven of vampires living in Italy , sooner than she 'd planned . `` That 's kind of my favorite part now , and it 's there because my mom told me it would be better that way . '' From The Oprah Winfrey Show © 2009 Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved . | Who write the Twilight series ? | 107:109 |
./cnn/stories/b5b8b7a909d2371fafe09956628289ce33be70e2.story | ALTADENA , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When she was laid off in February , Patricia Guerrero was making $ 70,000 a year . Weeks later , with bills piling up and in need of food for her family , this middle-class mother did something she never thought she would do : She went to a food bank . Patricia Guerrero was laid off in February . Desperate to make ends meet , she recently went to a food bank . It was Good Friday , and a woman helping her offered to pay her utility bill . `` It brought tears to my eyes , and I sat there and I cried . I was like , ` This is really where I 'm at ? ' '' she told CNN . `` I go ` no way ; ' -LSB- but -RSB- this is true . This is reality . This is the stuff you see on TV . It was hard . It was very hard . '' Guerrero is estranged from her husband and raising her two young children . She 's already burned through her savings to help make ends meet , and is drawing unemployment checks . She has had to take extreme measures to pay for her interest-only mortgage of $ 2,500 a month . In fact , her mother moved in with her to help pay the bills . Guerrero even applied for food stamps , but was denied . Watch Guerrero describe going to food bank '' `` I never used the system . I 've been working since I was 15-and-a-half . I needed it now and it turned me down , '' she said . Stories like Guerrero 's are becoming more common as middle-class Americans feel the pinch of an economic downturn , rising gas prices and a housing crunch , especially in a state like California that has been rocked by foreclosures . On Wednesday , a key government report on the battered housing market found new home sales fell to their lowest level in 13 years in February , suggesting the nation 's housing market is still struggling . Americans also have been attending in large numbers foreclosure fairs where mortgage lenders , financial planners and counselors offer tips to hard-hit homeowners . `` Our economy is struggling , and families in the ` Inland Empire ' and across the nation are hurting , '' California Rep. Joe Baca said , referring to an area of Southern California in his district . `` Our housing market is in a state of crisis due to rampant abuses of sub-prime lending , and unemployment is rising . At the same time , the cost of necessities such as gas , healthcare , and education continue to rise . '' Map : Foreclosures state-by-state '' Daryl Brock , the executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank in California 's San Bernardino and Riverside counties , said his organization supplies food to more than 400 charities in metro Los Angeles , from homeless shelters to soup kitchens to an array of food banks . While the majority of people they help are working poor families , he said they have seen some major changes . In the last 12 to 18 months , Brock said , the agencies he supplies have begun seeing more middle-class families coming to their doors . `` Our agencies have said there is an increasing number of people coming to them for help , '' Brock told CNN by phone . `` Their impression was that these were not people they normally would have seen before . They seemed to be better dressed . They seemed to have better cars and yet they seemed to be in crisis mode . '' He added , `` The only thing they can do is give us anecdotal evidence that they think it 's because of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown and the housing crisis . '' See recent trends of foreclosure filings '' A former loan processor , Guerrero knows all about that , although so far she has been able keep her house . She used her tax refund to help pay many of her bills for the first two months , but now that money 's gone . She says she 's now in a middle-class `` no-man 's - land . '' `` It just happened so fast . It happened in a matter of -- what -- two months , '' she said . She 's eager to get back to work and to hold onto her home until the market turns . But for this single mom , every day it becomes harder to hang on . `` It 's just depressing , '' she said . `` For me , I just do n't want to get out of bed , but I have to . That 's my hardest thing . I have to . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Gregg Canes contributed to this report . | what did guerrero do ? | 52:58 |
./cnn/stories/221310dba06730c1936bc2f1b87ed28d787e7c8d.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pint-sized version of the Tyrannosaurus rex , with similarly powerful legs , razor-sharp teeth and tiny arms , roamed China some 125 million years ago , said scientists who remain startled by the discovery . An adult Raptorex was about 9 feet tall and weighed about 150 pounds , scientists say . The predator , nicknamed Raptorex , lived about 60 million years before the T. rex and was slightly larger than the human male , scientists said . The findings , to be released Friday in the journal Science , are based on fossilized remains discovered in lake beds in northeastern China . They show a dinosaur with many of the specialized physical features of Tyrannosaurus rex at a fraction of its size . `` The most interesting and important thing about this new fossil is that It is completely unexpected , '' said Stephen Brusatte , co-author of the article , in a conference call with reporters . `` It 's becoming harder and harder to find fossils like this that totally throw us for a curve , '' added Brusatte , a paleontologist with the American Museum of Natural History . Scientists who have studied the fossilized animal , which was 5 to 6 years old when it died , believe it was an ancestor of the fearsome T. Rex . `` Raptorex really is a pivotal moment in the history of the group where most of the biological meaningful features about Tyrannosaurs came into being , '' said lead author Paul Sereno , a paleontologist at the University of Chicago . `` And the surprising fact is that they came into being in such a small animal , '' he added . Based on estimates of other similar-sized theropods , or `` beast-footed '' dinosaurs , Sereno and his colleagues estimate an adult Raptorex was about 9 feet tall and weighed about 143 pounds . By contrast , the Tyrannosaurus rex , which topped the prehistoric food chain until dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago , was believed to weigh at least five tons . Scientists hypothesize that Raptorex ran its prey down , using its enlarged skull , powerful jaws and sharp teeth to dispatch animals much larger than itself . Like the T. rex , the Raptorex also had tiny forelimbs , they said . `` We can say that these features did not evolve as a consequence of large body size but rather evolved as an efficient set of predatory weapons in an animal that was 1/100th the size of Tyrannosaurus rex and that lived 60 million years before Tyrannosaurus rex , '' Brusatte said . After the remains were discovered , they were smuggled out of China and into the United States , where they were eventually purchased by a Massachusetts collector , Henry Kriegstein , who donated them to science . Sereno was later asked to identify the fossil . `` I hope that this is a pathway that other important specimens that do find their way out of the ground in the dark of night do not get lost to science , '' Sereno said . The Raptorex fossil will eventually be returned to China , where it will be put on display near the excavation site , scientists said . | Who discovered the fossil ? | 32:33 |
./cnn/stories/0eaace0faa560fb5e3039bd8e9d5062c3ee53a4c.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka said Sunday they have `` decided to silence our guns '' as government forces closed in on their last stronghold . Sri Lanka 's defense ministry says this handout photo shows troops with a captured Tamil Tiger craft Thursday . It is not the first time the rebels have called for an end to fighting when backed into a corner by the Sri Lankan military . But should they follow through on their announcement , the decision would potentially end a bloody 25-year civil war in the country . `` This battle has reached its bitter end , '' Selvarasa Pathmanathan , a spokesman for the rebels said in an `` urgent statement '' posted Sunday on Tamilnet.com , a pro-rebel Web site . `` It is our people who are dying now from bombs , shells , illness and hunger . We can not permit any more harm to befall them . We remain with one last choice -- to remove the last weak excuse of the enemy for killing our people . We have decided to silence our guns , '' he said . Sri Lanka 's President Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to announce that `` military operations '' against the Tiger rebels have ended in an address to the nation from Parliament on Tuesday , the government said Sunday . The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -- have fought for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983 . As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began . Government forces have trapped the remaining rebels in a small stretch of land in the north of the country -- and possibly thousands of civilians with them , an international aid worker in the country told CNN . The civilians are `` under intense fire '' and `` essentially on their own '' in the area , which the government says contains only rebels , the aid worker said . The Tigers themselves claim 25,000 civilians are dead or dying , a rebel identified as Col. Soosai said in a statement on Tamilnet.com . Independent confirmation was not possible since media are not allowed into the area . Reports indicated fighting had intensified as troops scrambled to clear a remaining 1.2 square kilometers before the government could announce that military operations had ended . The army destroyed six Tamil Tiger boats and killed 70 rebels in a lagoon on the western edge of a no-fire zone early Sunday , Sri Lanka 's Media Center for National Security said . Sri Lanka 's prime minister warned Saturday that his country `` stands on the brink , '' as its soldiers cornered Tamil Tiger fighters in an assault which the United Nations fears is trapping more than 50,000 civilians on a small plot of coastal land . Government troops seized the last remaining coastal stretch under the control of Tamil Tiger rebels , the Ministry of Defense said Saturday . The seizure marks the total capture of coastline territory previously controlled by the rebels , it said , after army divisions advanced from the north and south to link up . An international aid worker said the United Nations was expecting about 20,000 of them to arrive in refugee camps Sunday . There were no medical services in the no-fire zone , the aid worker said . Watch aid agencies fear for Sri Lanka '' The Media Center for National Security claims 50,097 have come out of battle zones . Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa returned from Amman , Jordan , on Sunday . Rajapaksa was attending a summit of developing nations and the World Economic Forum . In an address to the summit in Amman on Saturday , Rajapaksa said the Sri Lankan armed forces had defeated the rebels . `` I will be going back to my country Sri Lanka that has been totally freed from the barbaric acts of terrorism of the LTTE . This freedom comes after 30 long years , '' Rajapaksa said . Journalist Iqbal Athas contributed to this report . | How many civillians are trapped ? | 488:490 |
./cnn/stories/ddd2c82e73bb6e11ba93babccc3585476114305c.story | LONDON , England -- Malaria is one of the world 's worst health problems and one of its biggest killers , with half a billion people affected every year , according to the Roll Back Malaria partnership . Around half a billion people are infected with malaria every year . Ninety percent of those cases are in Africa . Saturday marks World Malaria Day , when the world commemorates global efforts to eradicate the disease . Below CNN 's Vital Signs has produced a complete A - Z guide to how malaria spreads , the symptoms to look out for and how to protect yourself . A is for Anti-malarial drugs The history of anti-malarial medicine has been marked by a constant struggle between evolving drug-resistant parasites and the search for new drugs . Currently , anti-malaria experts are focusing on therapies that combine several drugs for better effects . B is for Blood stream Once a mosquito has bitten and the malaria parasites reach the liver , the parasites divide and create thousands of mature parasites . These are released into the blood and infect red blood cells . At that point , typical malaria symptoms such as fever and anemia develop . C is for Chloroquine Until recently , Chloroquine , an anti-malarial drug , was the first option for many people because of its relatively low price and effectiveness . However , resistance to Chloroquine in many parts of the world has rendered the drug ineffective . D is for Diagnosis After noting your symptoms and travel history , your doctor will likely obtain a sample of your blood for observation . Two blood samples , taken at six - and 12-hour intervals , can usually confirm the presence of the malaria parasite and its type . It is possible to be infected by more than one parasite at the same time . E is for Epidemic According to the World Health Organization -LRB- WHO -RRB- , large and devastating epidemics can occur when the mosquito-borne parasite is introduced into areas where people have had little prior contact with the infecting parasite . These epidemics can be triggered by wet weather conditions and further aggravated by floods or mass population movements driven by conflict . F is for Fever The most common symptom of all types of malarias is high fever , which is why doctors often misdiagnose malaria for flu . The fever is a reaction to toxins in the blood . It is therefore advised to tell your doctor you have been to a malaria affected zone , even if symptoms arise months after the trip . G is for Genome In 2002 , -- hundred years after it was discovered that mosquitoes transmit the malaria parasite -- the complete genetic codes of both the human malaria parasite and the mosquito that spreads it was cracked . This development brought scientists a step closer to developing drugs and vaccines to fight the disease , Nature magazine reported . H is for Hotspots Most cases and deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa , many of them occurring among children . However , Asia , Latin America , the Middle East and parts of Europe are also affected . In 2006 , malaria was present in 109 countries and territories . I is for Immunity Travelers from malaria-free regions such as Europe and the United States , with little or no immunity , who go to areas with high disease rates , are particularly vulnerable . It is essential to take precautions by taking anti-malarial drugs prescribed by your doctor . J is for Julius Wagner-Jauregg Julius Wagner-Jauregg , a Viennese doctor , was the first to intentionally infect syphilis patients with malaria parasites . By controlling the subsequent malaria-related fever with an anti-malaria drug , the effects of both syphilis and malaria could be minimized . Jauregg received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1927 . K is for Killer Malaria is a life-threatening disease but it is preventable and curable if the right steps are taken . Education in recognizing the symptoms has reduced the number of cases in some areas by 20 percent . Recognizing the disease in the early stages can stop the disease from becoming a killer . L is for Laser gun U.S. scientists say they are developing a laser gun that could kill millions of mosquitoes in minutes . The laser fires at mosquitoes once it detects the audio frequency created by the beating of wings , the lead scientist on the project told CNN . The project is being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . M is for Mosquitoes Malaria is caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquitoes . The mosquitoes bite between sunset and sunrise and parasites from the mosquito are then injected into the person 's skin and transported to the liver . About 170 species of such parasites exist , but only four cause malaria in humans . N is for Nets The distribution of mosquito nets with insecticide is a very effective method of malaria prevention , and it is also one of the most cost-effective methods . These nets can often be obtained for around $ 3 . Earlier this month , actor Ashton Kutcher won a Twitter race against CNN to reach 1 million followers . Kutcher had pledged 10,000 mosquito nets to charity if he beat CNN , and 1,000 if he lost . CNN agreed to do the same . O is for Obstacles In many endemic areas , access to health facilities , as well as drug costs , still present major obstacles . Humanitarian agency Medecins Sans Frontieres estimates that the cost of treating a malaria-infected person in an endemic country was between $ 0.25 and $ 2.40 per dose in 2002 . P is for Pandemic For malaria to become a pandemic -LRB- plague -RRB- in an area , several factors have to be present : high human population density ; high mosquito population density ; high rates of transmission from humans to mosquitoes and from mosquitoes to humans . Q is for Quinine Quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria in the 17th century . Since the 1940 's , many other anti-malarial drugs have appeared on the market and have taken precedent over quinine . But quinine is still being used to treat malaria in some cases . R is for Repellent The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says inspect repellents with DEET -LRB- most common active ingredient in strong insecticides -RRB- in them should be used on exposed skin and flying-insect spray can be used to kill mosquitoes in the sleeping area . DEET may be toxic , however and should be used with care . S is for Symptoms Fever is not the only symptom of malaria . Other symptoms can include shivers , headaches and nausea . Sweating and exhaustion is also common and in some cases , it can affect the brain or kidneys . T is for Tablets Malarone is a common anti-malaria drug among many travelers . It is said to have a 97 percent efficacy with relatively few side-effects . It can be given just one day before arrival in a malaria endemic country and only needs to be taken for another week after leaving . U is for Unborn child According to the WHO , pregnant women are at high risk of contracting malaria . The illness can result in high rates of miscarriages and cause more than 10 percent of maternal deaths annually . This figure can rise to 50 percent in cases of severe disease . V is for Vaccine Despite intensive research , no effective malaria vaccine has been developed to date . But according to a report in April 's New Scientist journal , a unique vaccine taken from the saliva of infected mosquitoes has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be tested in people . W is for World Malaria Day April 25 has become World Malaria Day to provide a global effort to control malaria around the world . The international malaria community only has two years left to meet the 2010 targets of delivering effective protection and treatment to all people at risk of malaria , as called for by the UN Secretary-General , Ban Ki-Moon . X is for X-ray X-ray microscopes are used to find the presence of malaria in red blood cells and see how they interact with healthy cells . One of the advantages of this type of microscope is that it produces very-high-resolution images of the cell structure . Y is for Yellow fever Yellow fever is another disease transmitted by mosquitoes . Some countries , such as Peru , require a certificate showing yellow-fever vaccination before you can travel there . Z is for Zanzibar Zanzibar , part of the African republic of Tanzania , has had relative successes in combating malaria ; Africa 's biggest killer according to the New Scientist journal . The achievements are due to the widespread use of treated bed nets , along with the switch to new anti-malarial drugs instead of Chloroquine in 2004 . | how many cases of malaria | 22:29 |
./cnn/stories/5f005d2f42a131a4067467a2fcafe050b9cae3a1.story | RIO DE JANEIRO , Brazil -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of people celebrated Friday on crowded Copacabana beach as the announcement that Brazil had been chosen as the 2016 Olympics host played live over huge screens erected above the sand . Thousands packed Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro after the city learned it will host the Olympics . `` It was a fantastic victory . We beat the big cities . Passion talked louder , '' said one man as he danced to live samba music in front of the stage . Rio de Janeiro beat out Chicago , Tokyo and Madrid to become the first South American city to host the Games , something President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva made clear during his pitch to the International Olympic Committee . `` It is a time to address this imbalance , '' he told committee members making the selection in Copenhagen , Denmark . `` It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country . '' Happiness was a big part of Rio 's pitch after it was voted the happiest city in the world by Forbes magazine . On Friday , thousands of people piled onto the beach wearing green and yellow , many with the Brazilian flag painted on their faces . Exuberant Rio de Janeiro is first South American city to host Olympics '' `` I thought that more than to the people , we owe this victory to our President Lula , '' said a woman wearing little more than a bikini . Rio also won points with an ambitious budget and new venues like the Joao Havelange Stadium , which opened for the 2007 Pan American Games . Rio 's jaw-dropping natural beauty helped the city pull ahead of the competition . `` Rio is full of all things quintessentially Brazilian : sun , sand , soccer , samba , sensuality , '' the editorial director of Fodor 's Travel , Laura Kidder , wrote in an e-mail . `` In Rio , it 's about taking each day as it comes and living life to the fullest . '' Erik Torkells , editor for TripAdvisor , the world 's largest online travel community , also praised the city for its social scene before the selection was made . `` If the Olympic Committee wanted to be sure everyone had a good time , they 'd go to Rio , '' Torkells said . The selection also had its critics in Brazil . `` I do n't think it 's appropriate considering what our country is going through , '' said Orlando Pinto , a social worker . `` We do n't have good health services , education ; we have transportation problems , housing problems , crime problems . '' Security and traffic remain enormous challenges to overcome in Rio de Janeiro . But it was all celebration on Friday as crowds continued to stream onto the beach after the announcement was made . | who offered ambitious budget and new venues ? | 480:483 |
./cnn/stories/85594f3a0961d2459461db53ffce605275c907a6.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Attacks in January and February by Sudanese forces on Darfur villagers are described in a U.N. report as `` violations of international humanitarian and human rights law . '' Between January and February , Sudanese forces killed 115 people -- including women , children and elderly -- in air and ground attacks on four Darfur villages , according to the report . Prepared by the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur , the report says attacks in January and February point to a deliberate plan to destroy civilian infrastructure . Helicopter gunships and fixed-wing aircraft targeted the villages while armed militias rode in on horses and camels to force about 30,000 people from their homes , according to the report . The attacks were `` carried out during a major military push by the Sudanese government to regain control of West Darfur 's northern corridor , and drive out an insurgent group , '' it said . The village of Saraf Jidad , Sudan , was attacked three times in January , while the villages of Sirbal , Silea and Abu Suruj were attacked within hours of each other on February 8 , UNAMID said in the report . The militias and the Sudanese armed forces looted , vandalized and burned homes , schools , shops , community centers and other buildings in the villages , the report said . Sometimes , buildings were burned with people inside , it said . The attacks `` amount to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law , '' they said . `` The scale of destruction of civilian property , including objects indispensable for the survival of the civilian population , suggests that the damage was a deliberate and integral part of a military strategy . '' The Sudanese government had no immediate response . However , last week , Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir accused the international media of `` exaggerating '' the situation in Darfur to detract from atrocities in Iraq , the Palestinian territories and Somalia . He said the crisis in Darfur is a `` media fabrication '' and that in most of the region there is little or no conflict and people are living normal lives , he said . Citing Sudanese government statistics , el-Bashir said fewer than 10,000 people have died in the conflict and fewer than 500,000 have been displaced . International figures , including U.N. data , put the death toll in Darfur at 200,000 , with another 2.5 million people displaced . The conflict began five years ago when ethnic African tribesmen took up arms , complaining of decades of neglect and discrimination by the Sudanese government . Sudan 's Arab-dominated government is accused of responding by unleashing tribal militias known as Janjaweed , which have allegedly committed the worst atrocities against Darfur 's local communities . Rebels fighting the government-backed militias have also been accused by the United Nations of widespread human rights abuses . El-Bashir rejects claims that the Darfur conflict is being fought along ethnic lines . At the start of this year , more than 9,000 UNAMID peacekeeping troops were deployed to the region to address the fighting and humanitarian suffering . Plans are for the force to eventually number 26,000 . E-mail to a friend | How many people where killed by Sudanese forces January and Februrary ? | 41:42 |
./cnn/stories/7144dd9636d8f02f99df1cee7df4b66d5014ad78.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- She 's only 23 , but Deepika Padukone is already living a life millions would envy . From calendar model to Bollywood big-time : Deepika Padukone . The model-turned-actress was spotted in a music video and then cast in one of the biggest grossing films in Bollywood history . She still only has three movies under her belt , but star status has already been bestowed upon her . With no family connections to the film industry and not being from Mumbai , Padukone traveled a route to movie stardom millions could only dream of . After deciding to become a model at the age of 16 , she was picked out of a music video by acclaimed director Farah Khan and cast in her next film opposite Shahrukh Khan . `` Om Shanti Om '' went on to become not only a hit in India , but also gained wider acclaim among western audiences . `` I completely did n't expect it . When I met Farah I thought she was joking . And at that point it seemed too good to be true . Shahrukh is someone who I 've grown up watching , and I did n't think that I deserve being a part of such a huge film . It 's only later , when I met Shahrukh and when things actually started happening , when I realized that this is for real , '' she told CNN . Despite her meteoric rise to fame and work on some big budget films she believes she 's learning the job of being an A-list Bollywood actress . `` I had great debut , a successful film , but after that ... I would think it 's quite difficult to choose the right film . You never know what 's right and what 's wrong , '' she said . `` Things for me changed quite overnight , actually . I remember a couple of months before the film release , not too many people knew me . In November 2007 when my film released and immediately after that I had to travel to New York , to Dubai and to London , and suddenly everyone on the streets started recognizing me , especially the Indians . That 's when I realized that things have changed . '' With the public attention has come the inevitable media spotlight on her private life . She says she never experienced the `` casting couch '' but is consistently romantically linked with other Bollywood stars , and there were rumors about a relationship with Indian cricketer MS Dhoni . `` As someone who did n't know how to deal with it , yes it was really difficult for me initially to read about myself or to read about things that are untrue . But I think slowly you start learning to deal with these things . '' Padukone 's father was a professional badminton player , and she played too as a teenager , traveling across the country to compete in tournaments . But by her late teens she decided she wanted to be a model and got the full support of her parents . `` I trained , I lost some weight . I then got a portfolio done . I sent it to Bombay to a couple of agencies and waited for awhile . I think that period is really the most challenging . Because that 's really the time that one can really go wrong . The waiting period . You can really make some wrong decisions and go completely wrong , '' she told CNN . `` I had the support of my family . I did n't get carried away . I think I was patient enough to wait for the right assignment to come my way . '' As a model she appeared in commercials and music videos . Since her move into the movie business more commercial endorsements have come her way , but in an industry notorious for its high turnover of starlets she is aware that for actresses there is often a limited shelf-life . `` For me my life now is my work . But I know that at some point I will have to have a life beyond my work . And I know that today there 's me , tomorrow there will be someone else . Maybe I 'll be here for 5 years , maybe I 'll be here for many , many years . `` I 'm definitely going to work hard and make sure that I can be here for as long as I can , but I 'll also make sure that people do n't get bored of me . And ... yes , let 's see how it goes . '' | Where was Padukone picked out ? | 37:39 |
./cnn/stories/712124f67e5a5e9159457df63b3733b3fb8c113f.story | MOUNT KENYA , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For as long as anyone cares to remember , the pastoralists of Kenya 's Rift Valley have fled with their herds to the fertile slopes of Mount Kenya when times are tough . Hundreds of dead cattle litter the slopes of Mount Kenya , fatally weakened by long treks to the region . When the rains failed this year they set off once again in search of water and pasture -- but they found only despair . `` I could have stayed home , or I could have come here , but it is all the same . All that you find is death , '' said Peraguan Lesagut , an aging pastoralist who came five months ago with his herd . After years of persistent drought Lesagut left his two wives and 16 children and drove 200 cattle to the foothills of Mount Kenya -- Africa 's second highest summit . Now , only 40 are left ; the rest succumbing to cold , disease and exposure . Across the folds of this mountain everyone has the same story . Hundreds of dead cattle dot the forests , young herdsmen try to coax ailing calves onto their feet , knowing that if they do n't get up , they will die . `` I am hopeless because I have seen almost all of my animals die , '' Lesagut said . `` If the rains are delayed for even another week two , then I will lose everything . '' Millions of Kenyans are facing the same stark reality . The World Food Program -LRB- WFP -RRB- says that , together with the Kenyan government , they will need to feed 3.8 million people across the country . Successive years of failed crops , drought and erratic rains caused by climate change have all had an impact . Somalia , Ethiopia and Djibouti all face similar crises . Despite this , the U.N. agency says that its emergency programs are facing massive shortfalls . `` We are facing a really difficult situation . We realize that the world economic crisis has affected the amount that countries can give to us , '' says WFP spokesperson Gabrielle Menezes , `` But at the same time we are seeing an awful situation in Kenya . If we do n't start feeding people now , things are only going to get worse . '' For many Kenyan farmers , the situation is already bad enough . Eunice Wairimu has seen four successive crops fail . This is harvest time in Kenya but her corn plants barely reach her knees and she will have to use her meager harvest as animal feed . `` I do n't even like to go to my farm because I become very upset , '' she said . `` There is nothing for me to get there for my family . '' Wairimu used to sell her surplus , but now she depends on food rations . She accepts them grudgingly . `` According to our tribal culture , we are n't used to being given food . We have always been willing to work hard . If it is the will of God to bring rain , he will bring rain . But he also brings drought . '' | Who is at risk of starvation ? | 259:262 |
./cnn/stories/02037af85149fc16f053ff9f41db55852424dd8b.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An internationally renowned paleontologist will plead guilty to stealing dinosaur bones from federal land , his attorneys said in a court filing . Paleontologist Nate Murphy is expected to plead guilty to stealing fossils from federal land . Nate Murphy , whose famous finds include Leonardo , one of the best-preserved dinosaurs in the world , will make that plea in federal court in Billings , Montana . Earlier this month , Murphy pleaded guilty to state charges of stealing a fossil from private land in order to sell it . An expert cited in that case said Murphy 's find was worth between $ 150,000 and $ 400,000 . The self-taught dinosaur expert , who is director of vertebrate paleontology at the Judith River Dinosaur Institute , could face jail time . Murphy and his attorney did not immediately respond to phone messages Friday from CNN . Jessica Fehr , lead prosecutor in the case , said the U.S. Attorney 's Office would not comment until after the plea is entered . In court papers , federal prosecutors say Murphy knowingly took fossils from federal property between about August 2006 and August 2007 . The `` paleontological resources '' were said to be worth at least $ 1,000 . In the state case , Murphy pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft . As part of the plea , the state recommended Murphy 's sentence be deferred for five years . Douglas Erwin , president of The Paleontological Society and curator of the Smithsonian 's National Museum of Natural History , said `` theft of fossils from pubic lands has long been a problem . '' In a written statement sent to CNN on Friday , he said such thefts `` can often result in the loss of important scientific information and the disappearance of specimens that belong to the public . `` At the same time , however , fossil collecting , particularly of common invertebrate fossils , has been a pastime enjoyed by many for decades , and is an important way of connecting people with their natural heritage . '' An omnibus public lands bill , which the U.S. Senate passed Thursday , includes penalties for fossil theft from public land . | Who will plead guilty ? | 27:30 |
./cnn/stories/78c890c1774ae9bc62dbd7b0a0b6074212e22954.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Valera remembered being left in the Russian snow . How he lost his lower arms and some of his toes , he was n't always sure . At times , he said he was in a fire . The truth of what the 14-year-old experienced in his early years , no one will ever know . The orphanage where he lives said Valera was abandoned as a small child at a hospital in St. Petersburg , Russia . He had gangrene , the result of meningitis and an infection , which forced amputations . He was released to the orphanage in Nizhny Lomov , where he 's waited nine years for parents and a home to call his own . On Saturday , Stephen Jack and his wife , Christine , will leave their Goldsboro , North Carolina , home to fly to Russia , the final step in a 15-month journey they hope will give the boy what he 's always wanted . `` Having never seen him and only knowing a little bit about him , I still feel attached to that child , '' said Jack , 53 , who already has six children , four of them adopted . `` I understand he can talk his way into your heart and mind in no time . When the world is opened up for him , who knows what his capabilities and possibilities are ? ... If all goes well , on the 21st he becomes my son . '' It is a trip the Jacks will take with trepidation . The actions Thursday of a Tennessee woman who put her adopted 7-year-old son on a plane and returned him to Russia , saying he was violent and that officials misled her family , puts Americans in the process of adopting from Russia on edge . Officials in Moscow have threatened to suspend all American adoptions and the Jacks face a two-week process involving a court appearance and loads of paperwork before they can fly home with Valera . `` What this woman did to us is put us on pins and needles , '' Jack said . `` My wife has been beside herself , and I 'd be lying if I said I was n't concerned . '' The adoptions of about 3,000 Russian children by Americans are in progress , according to Tom DiFilipo , president of the Joint Council on International Children 's Services , an advocacy group for children in need of families . Russia is the second country this year , after Haiti , in which adoptions have been thrown into a tailspin . No suspension has been announced , but mere talk of such a recommendation spawned a campaign on Monday by the council to galvanize the adoption community and child advocates . People are being encouraged to sign a letter to President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev -LRB- which will be presented to them Wednesday morning -RRB- , post blogs and share videos about adoption successes . `` Our message is this is an isolated incident . The adoption system did not fail . What failed was the decision-making process of this adoptive mother , '' DiFilipo said . What Torry Hansen of Tennessee did is `` outrageous and indefensible , and not indicative of the average adoptive parent . One-hundred-thousand people adopt every year . I do n't know of another case like this . '' The case has rocked the adoption community . `` I talked to parents yesterday , and they 're just devastated , '' said Deborah Gray , a child and family therapist , trainer and author , based in Seattle , Washington , who has 20-plus-years experience working on attachment , trauma and grief issues . `` It makes it seem like these kids are defective , that adoption itself is not a permanent status . ... It 's a public embarrassment , '' she said . `` The vast majority of families are enriched by adoption . To have this kind of approach is really off the wall . I ca n't understand why it would have gotten to this point . '' Adoptive parents can feel overwhelmed during transition She and other advocates said they wish Hansen had reached out for assistance and tapped services available for parents before shipping the child back to Russia after six months . `` There are so many services that were available to her . She could have contacted FRUA -LSB- Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption -RSB- which is a resource-rich place , gotten a good psychiatric assessment , including hospitalization if necessary to figure out what made this little guy tick , '' Gray said . The incident may have been a wake-up call to agencies and those in the adoption community to make sure adoptive families are prepared for challenges and have resources for help lined up in advance , especially if they live in rural parts of the country , said Sue Gainor , national chair of Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption , a volunteer-led nonprofit that offers support and community . Gainor , who adopted a son from Moscow in 2001 , said there are between 600,000 and 800,000 orphans in Russia , with an additional 80,000 to 100,000 in hospitals awaiting placement in orphanages . `` When you slow adoptions , you affect a lot of children , '' she said . `` There 's lots of angst in the adoption community . The minute you see the picture of that prospective child , that kid is yours . '' Being a parent , child advocates and members of the adoption community add , means helping a child adjust to change and work through challenges . `` This is just so sad because that kid had no chance whatsoever , '' said Larisa Mason , who directs a Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , adoption agency and serves on the board of the National Council for Adoption . `` A 7-year-old who changed his whole life within six months -- new language , new food , a new mother -- no question he would have issues . Even a dog would have issues . '' In addition to hoping adoptions continue uninterrupted , many also want Hansen punished for her actions . Natasha Shaginian-Needham is the founder and director of Happy Families International Center in Cold Spring , New York . The agency , established in 1992 , helps orphans with special needs -LRB- including Valera -RRB- , with adoptions being part of its work . `` The mother who finds somebody on the Internet , who sold his services for $ 200 in order to pick up and deliver -LSB- him -RSB- ... in Russia , demonstrates serious neglect and abandonment , '' she said . `` There was a very high risk that the child could have been met by a pedophile or worse , a killer . The community in Russia is outraged by the fact that the mother may not be punished at all for her inhuman action . '' Prospective adoptive mothers like Andrea Wright of Wake Forest , North Carolina , hope she , her husband , Kenneth , and the boy they want to adopt are n't punished because of Hansen 's actions . Leaving St. Petersburg , Russia , on Friday , Wright was overwhelmed with joy and anticipation . The 40-year-old fundraiser and her husband had just spent a week bonding with a little boy they are on track to soon call their own . The hopeful first-time parents arrived armed with toys to engage little Andrei , who will turn 1 later this month . In awe and with hearts melting , they watched as the child teetered into the room , clasping the hands of an orphanage caregiver . Of all the toys they brought him , stacking balls and cars included , his favorite item : Cheerios . Though he was a little reluctant at first , he warmed up during their stay . When they left him , he waved his arms to say goodbye . In six to eight weeks , they have plans to return to Russia to appear in court , the next phase in their journey to become parents . `` We 've been working on the process for close to a year . It 's been one procedural thing after another . ... We are so prepared to be parents and have worked so hard to get to this point , '' she said . `` We 're hoping that since we 've been to Russia once that we 'll be allowed to continue . We 're trying to go with a lot of faith and prayers at this point that it 'll all work out . '' | what will be suspended | 320:323 |
./cnn/stories/5b62d3c738e9c06c0f38def327aaef5000ae684f.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than nuclear bomb tests , the suicide of former South Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun has stunned the South Korean public . While the news has shocked the nation , perhaps the level of surprise at the method was n't as great . The suicide of former president Roh has shocked South Korea . In a country with one of the highest suicide rates among economically advanced countries , traditional concepts of honor and public `` face '' remain powerful social forces . According to World Health Organization figures , rates of suicide in South Korea doubled to 21.9 deaths per 100,000 people between 1996 and 2006 . The United Nations cites that 90 percent of suicide cases were caused by mental disorders , but socio-cultural and economic pressures play a large part . While each case of suicide has a number of complex personal issues , the connection between suicide and honor has a historical basis in many Asian countries . `` There are cultural histories in Asian societies of honorable suicide , such as hara-kiri in Japan , where the person assumes total responsibility , '' said Dr. Erminia Colucci , research fellow at the University of Melbourne 's School of Population Health . `` In many western countries , a suicide in someone of Roh 's position might be more about looking for understanding . In collectivist societies , like Japan and Korea , where a person 's identity is more tied closely to other groups , suicides can be seen as the ultimate way to rebuild or reclean your image , if it changes . '' `` I think there is something paradoxical in it . On one hand , some see it as a way of maintaining status and restoring honor to you and the people you represent , but the pressure from that group could contribute to you considering suicide . '' Roh was under investigation for corruption and some believe the pressures he felt just became too great . `` Roh had come to power as a human rights lawyer , as an uneducated outsider pledging to clean up Korean politics , so it was particularly hard on him to have what he stood for and the reality of what happened under his administration . I think that was particularly hard for him to take , '' David King , director of the Korean Studies Institute at the University of Southern California told CNN . Watch more on the rise and fall of Roh In a suicide note to his family , Roh described his life as `` difficult '' and was sorry for making `` too many people suffer . '' Roh had said he was ashamed about the scandal and in the first round of questioning , he said he was losing face and that he was disappointing his supporters . In South Korea , Roh is the latest and highest profile of recent suicides of public figures . In late 2008 , two South Korean actors took their lives . Police cited malicious online rumors as a possible cause for the suicide of Cho Jin-sil in October 2008 . The blogs and chat rooms had speculated that she had been pressuring fellow actor Ahn Jae-hwan to repay a debt before he took his own life in September 2008 . Video : How South Korean continue mourning '' High-profile suicides can make for lurid headlines , which Dr Paul Yip , director of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong , believes are far from helpful in combating suicide rates . `` Common in Asia is to sensationalize suicides , especially among celebrities . Often the local or national media publish lots of details of how it was done . The media -LRB- in Hong Kong -RRB- has got better in their responsible reporting , '' he said . `` Whenever famous people kill themselves there is an effect on those people who are most vulnerable from a similar age group -- we see this in Taiwan , South Korea and Japan and China , '' said Yip . `` People at risk can see Roh 's death as an example and say , ` Well if he can do it , so can I ' . Neither Roh nor any of the high-profile people who have committed suicide would have thought about this affect . There are a number of complex issues . There is n't just one that leads someone to take their life . '' Copycat deaths are a worry for Yip , and Colucci agreed that there can be lots of meaning in the method of a suicide , which people may be encouraged to follow . `` The way that Roh died is similar to some of the methods used in Japan , which is interesting . It really suggests it 's about the people wanting to relieve the burden they feel they are on others . For young people , it can be really connected to ideas of identity . For many , they feel it 's the last thing they have control over , '' said Colucci . Watch CNN 's report on Japan 's suicide forest Yip advised the South Korean Ministry of Health during Roh 's administration to help them devise a new approach to dealing with mental health issues and the problem of suicide . `` It is sad that Roh , whose government really did a lot to tackle the issue , should have done this . Last year a mental health act was passed by the South Korean government , as it recognized that more steps needed to be taken , '' said Yip . While there are distinct differences between the societies and traditions of Japan , Korea and Hong Kong , Yip was at least encouraged that the Chinese Special Administrative Region has seen a decline in the number of suicide cases since its peak in 2003 of some 1,200 to around 9000 . A key element has been breaking though the taboo of talking about mental health issues , one that Yip believed was common across Asia . `` They 've been stigmatized , and very common that it would not be talked about , especially if there is not a good mental health support system in place . Ten years ago in Hong Kong , people did n't want to talk about it . '' However , Yip is well aware of the link between suicide rates and economic change , which many have cited as a reason for suicide rates increasing . `` The rate generally goes up more in Asian countries than the west when there is an economic downturn . For an age group like Roh 's , suicide can seem like a very traditional , if extreme way to solve problems . The problems at first are economic , but make people feel great shame or disgrace . There is a large sense of pride in middle-age men and working people . '' Making it acceptable to talk about problems , making people feel connected to their community and having a support system in place were methods Yip believed has helped to reduce those at risk . But it was not just something that charities or governments can work on , Yip said : `` We have to reach out to the main concern groups , it 's a multi-layered approach . '' | who has highest suicide rates | 55:57 |
./cnn/stories/c0e55fdcf74c7eb093dc57bdf325c7336e468724.story | LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South American nations have always played a major part in the world of football , and when it comes to the World Cup they are considered among the main contenders every time . But this time around there may be a new threat from the continent making its mark internationally . Nelson Valdez -LRB- left -RRB- celebrates his goal against Venezuela , Tuesday , to keep Paraguay top in qualifying . Out of 18 World Cup Finals to date , a South American team has won the competition nine times , demonstrating that although Europe may be where the money is , the other side of the Atlantic has the raw talent . Generally speaking , however , the continent 's dominance has been largely down to two countries : Brazil , who have won the title an astonishing five times ; and Argentina , who have made it to the tournament 's final match four times and taken the trophy home twice . The rest of the continent has rarely played a major part in the proceedings . Now , though , as the qualifying stages for the 2010 World Cup Finals gather speed , the two giants are being put to shame by a footballing nation that has , until now , had very limited success at international events : Paraguay . Having only qualified for the finals seven times , and never made it further than the second round of the competition , Paraguay are n't usually seen as a serious threat to the big international teams , but this year the bookmakers may have to take a serious look at the small country from the center of the continent , with a population of just 6.1 million . Following Tuesday night 's 2-0 victory over Venezuela , Paraguay cemented their position at the top of the South American qualifying group , with 17 points from eight matches -- four points clear of the faltering Argentina and Brazil , who share second place . So far in the group , the Paraguayans have recorded a 2-0 home win over Brazil and managed to secure a 1-1 draw away to the recent Olympic champions Argentina , proving they can keep up with the best in the world , even without one of their star players , striker Roque Santa Cruz , who was injured for the Buenos Aires fixture . So , how are they managing it ? And can they continue this form through the qualifiers and into the finals themselves ? Since 2006 , the team has undergone some radical changes . A lot of big names in the squad and behind the scenes left the team following Paraguay 's relatively poor performance in the World Cup Finals in Germany . So it was goodbye to the old , including Paraguay 's most capped player , Carlos Gamarra and coach , Anibal Ruiz , who has been replaced by Argentine Gerardo `` Tata '' Martino . But this left the door open for a whole new face for the nation 's team . And the new breed of players clearly have a lot of skill , impressing people all over the world . Players like Santa Cruz , for the English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers , and Edgar Barreto , an integral part of the Reggina Calcio squad in Italy 's Serie A , represent Paraguay 's swelling talent in the major European leagues . The Paraguayan presence in the world 's top leagues , shows the depth of their squad , and it also means players will be given the benefit of experiencing top level football on a regular basis ; something that can only aid the development of an already talented player . The style the team plays -- emphasizing a strength in attack , boosted by Santa Cruz and his gifted strike partners , Club America 's Salvador Cabanas and Borussia Dortmund 's Nelson Valdez -- hints at a tactical change , as well . In the past , the Paraguayans have relied heavily on a solid defense to secure results , and not always had the goals to back that up . Now , although the defense is still strong -- featuring Boca Juniors regular Claudio Morel Rodriguez , and the powerful partnership of Paulo Da Silva and Julio Cesar Caceres -- there is some flair up front , which the manager is capitalizing on . So , with an influx of good players , who are getting the necessary top level experience and a manager who knows how to get the most out of his team , this may be an opportunity for a new country to step to the foreground from South America and end the dominance of Brazil and Argentina . As the table stands now , Paraguay are looking good to qualify , and if they can exercise the same level of skill they have shown in the opening eight matches , they could top the group and head to South Africa as the team to watch in the finals . | Who has had a reshape since 2006 ? | 816:817 |
./cnn/stories/cdea01734c85668ca98441bd0ad5d78325d77107.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 7-year-old boy from El Paso , Texas , was gunned down across the border in the violent city of Ciudad Juarez , Mexico , a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general 's office told CNN Tuesday . Raul Xazziel Ramirez had been visiting his father in Juarez on Friday evening when unknown gunmen fired on their vehicle at a roundabout , spokesman Arturo Sandoval said . At least 18 rounds from a 9 mm weapon were shot at the white 2000 Geo Tracker driven by Ramirez 's dad , Sandoval said . The father , Raul Ramirez Alvarado , 35 , died in the driver 's seat . The younger Raul escaped from the vehicle , but was apparently shot in the back , Sandoval said . The boy 's body fell forward in front of the vehicle . The shooting happened just before 8 p.m. Friday . No arrests had been made as of Tuesday , the spokesman said . Raul Xazziel Ramirez was a third-grader at Glen Cove Elementary School in El Paso , Ysleta Independent School District spokeswoman Patricia Ayala told CNN . `` It 's a senseless tragedy that we 're trying to come to terms with , '' she said . According to El Paso County records , Raul was just three weeks shy of his eighth birthday when he was killed . The boy lived with his aunt and uncle in El Paso , Ayala said . It was the first semester that Raul was registered with the district . Raul 's classmates were spared the details of his death , but the school was nonetheless shocked at the boy 's passing . Grief counselors were made available for both students and teachers , Ayala said . More than 2,200 killings have been recorded this year in Ciudad Juarez , out of a population of approximately 1.5 million people . A bloody turf war between warring drug cartels that started last year has made the city one of the most violent in the world . According to statistics from local prosecutors , Ciudad Juarez records about 10 murders a day . The bloodiest month this year has been September , with 476 killings reported . The violence has not spilled over significantly across the border to El Paso , but as Friday 's shooting showed , the pain of one of the sister cities is shared by the other . Because of the ongoing investigation , Sandoval declined to say whether drug cartel activity was suspected in the killings of Raul and his father , but added that at least 90 percent of the city 's homicides are drug-related . Raul was not the youngest victim slain this year . In early 2009 , a 3-year-old girl was killed together with her father inside a vehicle that was targeted , Sandoval said . | What was Raul Xazziel Ramirex just shy of | 226:229 |
./cnn/stories/aff2075ae43a7367da888d2d5f12348531174325.story | WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Virginia has n't backed a Democrat for president in 44 years , but economic concerns and changing demographics are giving Sen. Barack Obama a chance to steal the once reliably red state from Republicans . Sen. Barack Obama waves as rain falls on a rally in Fredericksburg , Virginia , in late September . Polls earlier this year showed Sen. John McCain , the Republican presidential nominee , leading Obama , his Democratic rival , in Virginia by a healthy margin . A Virginia Commonwealth University poll taken May 12-18 had McCain leading 47 percent to 39 percent . But as the financial crisis has shaken voters ' confidence in the economy , Obama has begun to open a lead in the state , as he has done in other battleground states . The latest CNN poll of polls has Obama leading McCain 49 percent to 45 percent . A CNN/TIME/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted September 28-30 shows Obama with an even bigger lead over McCain , 53 percent to 44 percent . The CNN poll 's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points . Polls show that voters have more confidence in Obama to handle the economic crisis than they do in McCain , and are more likely to blame Republicans for the recent turmoil than Democrats . Beside an advantage on the economy , Obama is also benefiting from a demographic shift that has reshaped Virginia politics . For the last 10 presidential elections , Republicans have been able to bank on Virginia delivering its 13 electoral votes to the GOP . President Bush won Virginia by 8 percentage points in both 2000 and 2004 , and President Bill Clinton was never able to capture the state when he ran in 1992 and 1996 . But the explosive growth of Northern Virginia in the last decade has changed the state 's electorate . Drawn by government jobs in nearby Washington and high-tech jobs in the Dulles corridor , the growing population in Northern Virginia is more liberal than the mostly rural southern portion of the state , which has remained reliably Republican . In 2000 , Bush carried Northern Virginia 49 percent to 47 percent , but in 2004 , Sen. John Kerry , the Democratic presidential nominee , carried the area 51 percent to 48 percent . Virginia `` is not as red as people think , '' said Doc Thompson , a conservative talk show host for WRVA radio . `` A third of the population in Northern Virginia is pretty liberal . A lot of people are buying into -LSB- Obama 's -RSB- notion of change . '' Virginia Democrats have been able to exploit the changes in the electorate into statewide electoral success after years in which the Republicans had a virtual lock on the state . In fact , Virginia Republicans have not won a statewide race since Mark Warner , a former mobile phone company executive , captured the governorship for the Democrats in 2001 by emphasizing economic growth . Democrat Tim Kaine , who was Warner 's lieutenant governor , succeeded Warner in 2005 . And in what may have been the most surprising result of the 2006 election cycle , Democrat Jim Webb defeated the incumbent Republican George Allen in the race for one of Virginia 's seats in the U.S. Senate . The trend favoring the Democrats is expected to continue this year , which is expected to help drive Virginia Democrats to the polls . The extremely popular Warner is almost certain to win this year 's race against another former governor , Republican Jim Gilmore , to replace Virginia 's long-standing Republican senator , John Warner , who is retiring . -LRB- The two Warners are not related , and John Warner was unopposed in 2002 . -RRB- A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in late September found Warner leading Gilmore by 30 points , and Warner 's victory would give Democrats control of both of Virginia 's seats in the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1970 . While conservatives may be demoralized by Gilmore 's poor showing , McCain may also face eroding support from Virginia conservatives for his recent proposals for the government to become heavily involved in the U.S. economy , said Thompson , the radio talk show host . During Tuesday night 's presidential debate , McCain suggested that the government directly buy up to $ 300 billion in home mortgages to help homeowners facing foreclosure . Thompson said that proposal , along with his support for a $ 700 billion bailout package to help Wall Street firms that McCain voted for last week , are two signs that McCain is breaking from the free-market principles that Virginia conservatives support and not stopping `` the march toward socialism '' that has begun since the economic crisis started . `` They missed a real opportunity , certainly , in Virginia with my listeners who say they want someone who is fiscally conservative , '' said Thompson , who added that he 's considering voting for a third-party candidate . `` They could have come out and said , ` no more spending . ' '' CNN 's Scott Anderson contributed to this report . | What made Conservatives angry at McCain ? | 713:715 |
./cnn/stories/c9e54303cd3bac4d133ba601c8ef16b43226ec40.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another band of frigid weather will blanket the eastern two-thirds of the nation Wednesday , battering states already dealing with record-low temperatures that have been blamed for at least five deaths . The system will bring blistering cold weather and winds across the country , including many states not used to such temperatures . In Florida , Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency because of the threat to the state 's lucrative crop industry . His order aims to help farmers across the state salvage what they can by lifting weight limits on trucks and allowing them to get already harvested crops out of the cold . In other areas of the country , low temperature records are being broken and are likely to continue to fall . Later this week , the temperature could drop below zero for the first time in St. Louis , Missouri , since 1999 , according to the National Weather Center . Little Rock , Arkansas , could see an actual temperature of 10 degrees and wind chill of 20 below zero on Friday morning , according to the National Weather Service . The high temperature will be in the 20s on Thursday and Friday in Dallas , Texas , where consecutive days that cold have not happened since 1998 , the weather service said . The northern Plains could see wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero through Wednesday , CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said . `` Some locations could see temperatures 30 to 40 degrees below normal '' on Thursday across parts of the Plains , upper Midwest and Ohio River Valley , CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said . By Friday morning , afternoon highs will struggle to make it above zero , he said . `` What 's unusual about this is the length of the cold snap , '' CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said . `` Typically across the South , you 'll get a two - to three-day cold snap , and then temperatures will moderate , '' he said . `` But we 're getting reinforcing shot after reinforcing shot , and that pattern does n't look like it wants to break down until at least next week . '' Some states were still dealing with the aftermath of the first cold snap . In Atlantic , Iowa , a record set in 1958 was broken when the temperature dropped to minus 29 degrees Monday , according to the National Weather Service . Share your photos , video of winter weather near you Safety officials in Virginia warned children and adults to stay away from frozen ponds and streams . A homeless man was found frozen to death in Kansas City , Missouri , where the temperature was 1 degree Tuesday morning , and Salvation Army officials said they desperately need donations of hats , gloves and socks , CNN affiliate KCTV reported . The temperature is not expected to rise above zero in Kansas City on Friday . A winter storm watch is in effect for Kansas City , where 2 to 4 inches of snow and near-blizzard conditions will be possible on Wednesday afternoon , CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said . A winter storm watch has also been issued for Memphis , Tennessee , where 2 to 4 inches of snow will be possible from late Wednesday evening into Thursday morning . The northern Plains could see wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero through Wednesday , Myers said . `` Some locations could see temperatures 30 to 40 degrees below normal '' on Thursday across parts of the Plains , upper Midwest and Ohio River Valley , Morris said . A winter storm warning for moderate to heavy snowfall was in effect into Tuesday afternoon in parts of northwestern Washington state , northern Idaho , Montana and northern Wyoming , the weather service said . Moderate to heavy snowfall also is possible in much of North Dakota from Tuesday to Wednesday , the weather service said . A dusting of snow will be possible in Atlanta , Georgia , on Thursday , Morris said . At least four cold-related deaths have occurred in Tennessee . One was an 81-year-old Alzheimer 's patient who apparently wandered outside during the night wearing nothing but a bathrobe , police said . John Anderson 's body was found in his driveway Monday morning . The Salvation Army shelter in Lubbock , Texas , is making room to let more people in out of the cold , CNN affiliate KCBD reported . Shelters in Jackson , Mississippi , were reaching capacity , CNN affiliate WLBT reported . New Jerusalem Church in Jackson was opening its doors to help the homeless . `` We had one of the gentlemen tonight who lives under the bridge . ... He 's never been to a shelter , and he said , ` You know , Miss Liza , my bones ca n't handle it anymore , ' '' New Jerusalem Church spokesperson Eliza Garcia told WLBT . The frigid air reaches all the way south , jeopardizing berry and citrus crops in Louisiana and Florida . Watch how berry farmers are trying to save their plants Some hard freeze warnings were also in effect in Louisiana and parts of the state could see temperatures drop into the 20s , some of the coldest weather in the area since 1996 , CNN affiliate WWL in New Orleans , Louisiana , reported . Supplies for protecting pipes from freezing were disappearing from area stores , CNN affiliate WDSU reported . It forced some to discuss other options -- like wrapping pipes in newspaper and covering it in plastic , WDSU reported . Hard freeze warnings were in effect Tuesday morning for much of northern Florida and parts of other Gulf Coast states , according to the National Weather Service . `` For Florida , they 're going to see the coldest stretch in 15 to 25 years , '' Marciano said . `` They get freezes like this , but they do n't get them for this length of time , and that 's the danger that will probably wear the farmers out . '' In Winter Park , Florida , some students found themselves unable to escape the elements even once they got to school -- a faulty air handler left Aloma Elementary School without heat , CNN affiliate WKMG in Orlando reported . Growers are spraying water on their trees to form a protective coating of ice , said Andrew Meadows , spokesman for Florida Citrus Mutual , a trade group representing about 8,000 growers . As long as temperatures do n't drop below 28 degrees for more than four hours , damage should be minimal , he said . However , forecasters say colder air is on the way . `` Tonight 's going to be another anxious night , '' Meadows said . `` I 'm sure a lot of growers will be pulling all-nighters . '' Farmers in Louisiana such as Eric Morrow told CNN affiliate WDSU in New Orleans they were also waiting anxiously , hoping their strawberry crops do n't get destroyed at the height of the growing season . Charlotte County , Florida , planned to open a cold weather shelter Tuesday evening , CNN affiliate WINK reported . Other counties were taking similar steps . Shoppers at clothing stores were were clearing racks of warm coats , CNN affiliate WKMG in Orlando , Florida , reported . The cold can be lethal to Florida 's tree-dwelling iguana population , too . The reptiles fall into a sort of suspended animation that mimics death when the temperature drops below 40 , but they could indeed die if it stays below 40 for more than three days , according to CNN affiliate WFOR . Lows reached the teens Tuesday morning in parts of Alabama , according to the weather service . Record lows were expected in many areas across the South , CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said . The Weatherization Trust , a nonprofit group in Omaha , Nebraska , stepped in to help a family whose furnace quit in the midst of the freeze , CNN affiliate KETV reported . Tracy O'Boyle and her family have been using an oven to stay warm , but the nonprofit group has procured a replacement furnace , to be installed by the end of the week , KETV reported . `` We 're just grateful we 're going to get the furnace in a few days , '' O'Boyle told KETV . `` We 've already lasted more than a week without one and it 's been really cold . '' CNN 's Jim Kavanaugh contributed to this report . | What record was broken ? | 120:125 |
./cnn/stories/a30d114404bb397df450412adcb6919ceb919b3e.story | -LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- Shelly and her husband , Daren Forney , were the happily married parents of three beautiful girls , 13-year-old Jessica , 9-year-old Erica and 4-year-old Valerie . `` Erica is my little sunshine because she lit up the house , '' Shelly says . `` She was making us laugh before she was a year old . '' Two days before Thanksgiving in 2008 , Shelly came back from a doctor 's appointment to find emergency crews on her street . `` There were all these people and a child lying on the ground , '' she says . `` I had no idea it was my daughter . '' Daren says Erica was riding her bike home from school . `` Erica was just around the corner from our house , '' he says . `` She was 30 seconds from being home safely . '' Erica had been hit head-on by a 5,000-pound SUV . Police say that the driver had recently finished a phone call at the time of the accident . `` The driver said : ` I 'm so sorry . I did n't see her , ' '' Shelly says . `` I felt badly for the driver because I thought : ` Oh , she 's unconscious . She 's going to be okay . ' ... And they started cutting my daughter 's clothes off and it was hitting me this is very , very , very serious . '' Watch mom remember her daughter , the fatal day Erica was rushed to the local children 's hospital , then airlifted to another facility . `` The neurosurgeon made it very clear she was going to die , '' Shelly says . `` I spent the night with her that night . I held her . Cried . I kissed her . I sang to her . I just needed to have time with my girl . '' The driver of the SUV , Michelle Smith , pleaded guilty last year to careless driving resulting in death and was sentenced to two years probation , a $ 300 fine and 150 hours of community service , according to the Denver Post . Her sentence also required her to write a letter of apology to the Forney family and have the letter published in newspapers . Since Erica 's death , Shelly and Daren have been working to change the laws in Colorado . `` I do n't want any other parent to have to go through this , or a husband to lose his wife , '' she says . `` We have been trying so hard to get this law changed , and we 're going to continue until it happens . '' In the meantime , Shelly and Daren say every single person who gets behind the wheel can make a difference . `` Get off the phone . Save a life . Do n't talk and drive , '' she says . `` You 've got precious cargo in that car . Your life . Your children 's life . They are not worth a phone call , a text , an e-mail . It 's not worth it . '' Nearly 500,000 people are injured and 6,000 are killed each year because drivers are talking , texting and e-mailing behind the wheel , according to the U.S. Department of Transportation . `` It is my prayer that this show , this day will be a seminal day in your life , '' Oprah Winfrey said on her show Tuesday . `` Let it be the end , the end of you using a cell phone or sending a text message when you are behind the wheel of a moving vehicle . And until we as a nation decide we 're going to change that , those numbers are only going to go up . '' Oprah.com : Take Oprah 's no phone zone pledge Most European countries ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving , but not all U.S. states have laws restricting texting and driving . So far , 19 states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving . In seven states and the District of Columbia , drivers can only use their cell phones if they are hands-free . Of the states with these laws , Utah 's laws are among the strictest , due to one distracted driver and two grieving families . Oprah.com : Why multitaskers should beware September 22 , 2006 , began like any other day for Jackie Furfaro . She kissed her husband , Jim , goodbye as he left to pick up his colleague , Keith O'Dell , for work . A few hours later , Jackie arrived at work , where police were waiting for her . They told her Jim had been in an accident . `` I saw Jim 's license in the hands of one of the police officers , and I realized that he was dead , '' she says . `` They told me that a 19-year-old who was driving a white Tahoe had crossed the center line and clipped my husband , '' she says . `` He ended up in the oncoming traffic line and was broadsided by the vehicle behind the 19-year-old , and he was killed instantly , along with Keith . '' An investigator at the crash site suspected texting was involved when he saw the 19-year-old , Reggie Shaw , texting on the way to a mandatory drug and alcohol screening . No drugs or alcohol were found in his system , but cell phone records confirmed Reggie had been texting from the time he got into his car up until the moment of the crash . Reggie was sentenced to 30 days in jail , community service and to honor a unique request from Jackie -- to watch a video of her husband 's funeral . `` I just wanted him to know who he killed , '' she says . `` That was a way for him to get to know one of the men . '' Before the accident , Reggie says he texted `` pretty close to 100 percent of the time '' while driving . `` I just never thought about it , '' he says . `` Growing up , going to high school , going to driver 's ed , it was never taught to me how dangerous it was . '' Reggie says he 's haunted by what he 's done . `` This affects my life every day . It 's something that I can never really forgive myself for . It was a poor choice that I made , '' he says . `` I have trouble sleeping at night . You drive down the road , you see accidents on the side of the road , and instantly that 's the first thing that I think of . It 's hard every day . It never gets easier . '' When asked whether the jail time he served was enough , Reggie says he does n't know . `` I think about those 30 days in jail and what I went through and how hard that was for me -- and I think about the two lives that are lost , '' he says . `` I do n't know if it was enough . '' Still , Reggie says it 's important for him to share his story with others . In fall 2008 , Reggie spoke at a national summit in Washington , D.C. , about the dangers of distracted driving . He also speaks at high schools to give students the warning he never received . `` A lot of them think along the lines like I thought : ' I can do this . I 'm safe , ' '' he says . `` I explain to them : ` It 's not safe . Absolutely not . Look what it 's done to me . Look what it 's done to these two families . You do n't want to put anyone through that . It 's not worth it . ' '' Oprah.com : Can cell phones put you at risk Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & © 2010 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved . | who lost their daughter in an accident ? | 4:11 |
./cnn/stories/8bb67b0ab3c6beeb7e06f46d3bb30c7d3cf1880c.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Piracy is expected to pick up in the high seas off Somalia after a lull caused by monsoon season , maritime officials warned Monday . Suspected Somali pirates sit behind bars during the first hearing in their trial at Aden port court on July 15 . The Combined Maritime Forces urged crews to take up safety measures , including using recognized transit corridors in the Gulf of Aden and reporting to the European Union 's security center before transit . `` The prior preparation and vigilance of merchant mariners at all times of day and night is more important now than ever , '' said Rear Admiral Caner Bener of the Combined Task Force . International forces made up of more than 30 ships and aircraft from 16 nations will continue patrolling the waters to help fight pirates , according to officials . `` While our ability to deter and disrupt attacks has improved over time , we are constantly adapting the way we do our business as the pirates adapt and modify their tactics , '' Bener said . The waters off Somalia are rife with pirate activity , despite increased measures by military forces and shipping companies to ward off attacks . Heavily armed pirates have struck the busy Indian Ocean shipping lanes and the Gulf of Aden , which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean . They have captured dozens of vessels and hundreds of hostages , making off with millions of dollars in ransom . It was unclear whether a ransom was paid . The Gulf of Aden , off northern Somalia , has the highest risk of piracy in the world . | Where is the Gulf of Aden ? | 269:272 |
./cnn/stories/c8e478e591e12194c6d39dbd8483b15d65c1bea6.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heidi Klum knows that modeling is a young woman 's game . In the latest issue of InStyle magazine , the supermodel claims that models , like food , spoil after a certain age . `` Models have a sell-by date , '' the 36-year old Klum said in the interview . The mother of four -- who recently changed her last name to Samuel for her husband , the singer known as `` Seal '' -- also said that there are certain jobs she just does n't do anymore . `` Like the young , sexy , cute things for teenagers , or even 25-year-old girls . I go in a different bracket now , '' Klum said . -LRB- InStyle : See highlights of the Klum issue -RRB- The German-born model entered a different bracket of current and former models in 2004 when she became an entrepreneur with the television series `` Project Runway . '' Klum signed on as host , judge and executive producer of the reality show , in which up-and-coming fashion designers compete for the chance to receive money to launch their own fashion line . In 2009 Forbes magazine estimated Klum 's income at $ 16 million . The new season of `` Project Runway '' kicks off Season 7 on Lifetime network on Thursday . In March Klum and fellow judge designer Michael Kors will be starring in their own `` Project Runway '' video game , in which players can design fashion lines , choose their models , strut down the catwalk , and strike a pose in a photo shoot . InStyle 's February issue hits newsstands on Friday , January 15 . | When does the latest season of `` Project Runway '' begin ? | 225:226 |
./cnn/stories/59c95f120045a816807d683638044c10dc27312e.story | WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With U.S. gasoline prices setting records , opponents of the war in Iraq have raised a new complaint this week : The budget windfall that skyrocketing oil prices has given Baghdad . Iraqi employees attend the opening ceremony of a new oil refinery plant in Najaf , Iraq , on March 15 . Crude oil futures topped $ 112 a barrel in Wednesday 's intraday trading in New York -- up from about $ 35 a barrel before the 2003 invasion of Iraq . Though Iraq 's oil exports have yet to top prewar levels , the price rise has meant a $ 6.4 billion surplus for the Iraqi government , according to the Pentagon 's last quarterly report on the war . With the five-year-old war 's cost to U.S. taxpayers estimated at more than $ 600 billion , the Iraqi windfall provoked sharp questions from Congress during two days of testimony by the top U.S. officials in Iraq , Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker . `` This nation 's facing record deficits , and the Iraqis have translated their oil revenues into budget surpluses rather than effective services , '' Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri , the Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee , said Wednesday . `` Under these circumstances and with a strategic risk to our nation and our military readiness , we and the American people must ask : Why should we stay in Iraq in large numbers ? '' Rep. Dana Rohrabacher , R-California , proposed the Iraqi government pay the cost of stationing U.S. troops in its country under any future agreement between Washington and Baghdad -- and said he would introduce legislation to require that . `` The United States government and the people of the United States have paid an awful price , '' Rohrabacher said . `` It 's time for the Iraqis to pay that price for their own protection . '' Crocker said Iraq has allocated $ 13 billion for reconstruction projects in 2008 and plans to add another $ 5 billion this summer . The U.S. focus will shift to improving Iraq 's economy at the local level and expanding its export capacity , he said . `` The era of U.S.-funded major infrastructure projects is over . We are seeking to ensure that our assistance , in partnership with the Iraqis , leverages Iraq 's own resources , '' he said . Five years after Baghdad fell to a U.S.-led army , many Iraqis still lack basic services such as water , sewer connections and electricity . Nevertheless , Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the government is `` doing its best '' to spend money to improve the country . `` I think the government has a responsibility , definitely , to care for its people , to provide services and to use the oil money for reconstruction and development , '' Zebari said . The United States has committed about $ 45 billion to Iraq 's reconstruction since the March 2003 invasion , according to a report last month from the Government Accountability Office . The agency , the investigative arm of Congress , concluded that Iraq 's oil revenues could top $ 100 billion in 2007 and 2008 . When President Bush announced he was dispatching almost 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq in January 2007 , he told Americans that Iraqis would spend $ 10 billion on reconstruction projects and pass a law allocating the country 's oil wealth as steps toward a political settlement of the war . The GAO , however , found Iraq had spent only 7 percent of that budget by November 2007 , and the proposed oil law has stalled in the country 's fractious parliament . Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh blamed the ongoing insurgency and the `` socialist command economy '' left behind by ousted dictator Saddam Hussein for the slow pace of reconstruction . `` At the time we were trying to reform it , open up the system , when we are faced with the terrible challenge of al Qaeda and this tornado of terrorism afflicting the society day in , day out , '' Saleh said . `` People should not be too judgmental . '' But Sen. Claire McCaskill , D-Missouri , said Tuesday the issue is `` a burr in the saddle of the American people '' -- particularly since Bush administration officials told Congress before the invasion that Iraq could finance its own reconstruction with oil revenues . Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina -- a Republican opponent of the war -- pointed out the United States `` is borrowing money from foreign governments to pay our bills '' while oil and gas prices have more than doubled . `` The issue is that we in this Congress are going to be cutting programs to help our elderly with health care , '' he said Wednesday . `` The American people want to know that the Iraqi government understands that we do not have treasure and blood to go on and on and on . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jill Dougherty in Baghdad contributed to this report . | What results in a surplus for the Iraqi government ? | 89:110 |
./cnn/stories/8b270ce0558371cdbb49bd8adba00f015fc6980f.story | -LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Even in the midst of the Civil War , there was still one thing the North and South shared -- a serious addiction to caffeine . Confederate troops were less likely to get a cup of coffee . In that respect , the Union clearly had an advantage . Not only did the North have more than two-thirds of the population and control most of the heavy industry , railroads , and financial reserves in the country , it hoarded supplies of the highly addictive little bean , leaving the Confederacy to wage its own war against java deprivation . Coffee : It 's what 's for breakfast , lunch and dinner Throughout the Civil War , coffee was as prevalent on the battlefields as it is in offices today . In fact , the Union army was fueled by the stuff to the point that , if there was no time to boil water , the Boys in Blue would chew on whole beans as they marched . And at night , Union campsites were dotted with tiny fires , each boiling a pot of coffee like a million miniature Starbucks . Beyond caffeine cravings , Union troops loved their coffee because it was , literally , the best thing on the menu . Before the advent of helpful -LRB- and tasty ! -RRB- artificial preservatives , a marching soldier 's rations were neither varied nor particularly appetizing . Typically , they consisted of salted meat , unleavened bread -LRB- accurately christened `` hardtack '' -RRB- , and a little sugar and salt . It did n't help that Union supply chains were riddled with corrupt food contractors who charged the government top dollar for rotten , stale , and insect-ridden foodstuffs . Coffee , however , was almost always fresh because it was delivered in whole-bean form -- making it difficult for even the most dishonest supplier to skimp on quality . Not that they did n't try , of course . In fact , officials began requesting coffee as whole beans after some crooked contractors tried to up their per-pound profits by slipping sand and dirt into packages of ground coffee . In 1861 , hoping to cut down on the time soldiers spent roasting and grinding beans , the army switched to a concentrated proto-instant coffee . The new concoction , called `` essence of coffee , '' was made by boiling prepared coffee , milk , and sugar into a thick gloop , which soldiers then reconstituted by mixing it with water . The product reportedly tasted every bit as bad as you 'd imagine , and thanks to the corrupt dairymen who sold the army spoiled milk , it also tended to cause diarrhea . Needless to say , the Union army was soon back on the bean . Southern discomfort Noxious as essence of coffee was , Confederate soldiers would have gladly downed a cup or two . But , because of a Union naval blockade , coffee -LRB- along with weapons , machinery , medicine , and other vital materials -RRB- was in short supply in the South . Before the war , a pound of beans would have set you back around 20 cents in Yankee dough . Once pre-war stockpiles ran out , however , the same amount was running as high as $ 60 in Confederate money . -LRB- Despite the undervalued currency , that was still a lot . -RRB- There was some coffee that made it into the Confederacy -- usually carried by steam-powered blockade-runner ships . But , for the most part , Southerners had to rely on coffee substitutes , including various forms of roasted corn , rye , okra seeds , sweet potatoes , acorns , and peanuts . Unfortunately , all these imitations lacked potency , tasted awful , and upset the bowels . The only slightly better alternative was tea made from the leaves of the native yaupon shrub . The good news was that it contained caffeine ; the bad news was that it was incredibly difficult to digest . Luckily , there was one surefire way for Southern folk to get their coffee -- by making peace with the Union . Soldiers on the front lines often called informal truces so Rebels could swap tobacco for Yankee coffee and then dash back to their camps before they were reported missing . E-mail to a friend For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com | What Union troops had it for breakfast , lunch , and dinner ? | 105:106 |
./cnn/stories/08eb20be0f8af096fe7e99e3c25740fd7b7be2af.story | HAVANA , Cuba -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- New Orleans , Louisiana , Mayor Ray Nagin arrived in Cuba late Friday on a mission to learn about how to deal with storms , a spokeswoman said . Mayor Ray Nagin watches President Obama speak in New Orleans , Louisiana , on Thursday . `` We understand we may have a lot to learn from the Cubans in terms of disaster preparedness and how they have dealt with hurricanes , '' spokeswoman Ceeon Quiett said . Cuba is internationally applauded for exceptional disaster management , according to a news release from Nagin 's office . In the Cuban capital , Havana , Nagin plans to meet with several officials , including some from the Latin American Medical Centers for Disaster . He will also learn about preparations the Cuba Defense Committee makes in advance of disasters . Nagin 's trip comes a day after President Obama held a town hall meeting in New Orleans , still reeling from the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Katrina in 2005 . `` It has now been just over four years since that terrible storm struck your shores , '' the president said . `` And -LSB- in -RSB- the days after it did , this nation and all the world bore witness to the fact that the damage from Katrina was not caused just by a disaster of nature but also by a breakdown of government , that government was n't adequately prepared , and we did n't appropriately respond . '' Since Katrina , New Orleans has adjusted its disaster response with new evacuation plans . As Hurricane Gustav threatened the city last year , officials evacuated more than 18,000 residents , the release said . Three powerful hurricanes hit Cuba last year , damaging half a million homes and causing $ 10 billion in losses , according to the Cuban government . But only seven people died , thanks to a smooth evacuation plan . Some aspects of the communist nation 's response , including mandatory evacuations , may not be possible in a democracy . Still , some Americans believe that they can learn from their Caribbean neighbor . The mayor of Galveston , Texas , another city hit hard by Gulf of Mexico hurricanes , visited Cuba this year . Nagin is the first New Orleans mayor to make an official visit to Cuba in 50 years . The State Department sanctioned Nagin 's trip , Quiett said . He plans to return to New Orleans on Thursday . CNN 's David Ariosto contributed to this report . | How many people died due to hurricanes ? | 320:321 |
./cnn/stories/b06883d8bb2226b3690c7c4beb1ac5fda6346ffc.story | Athens , Greece -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Protesters and police clashed violently in front of the Greek parliament building Wednesday , as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Athens on the first day of a two-day general strike over austerity measures . At least six protesters and 15 police officers were injured amid the disturbances , police said , and at least 15 people were arrested . Strikers in Greece aim to shut down wide sectors of the country , as lawmakers debate a new round of tough cost-cutting measures . Lawmakers passed the new austerity law in principal in an initial round of voting Wednesday , by 154 votes in favor to 141 against , with five lawmakers absent . Parliament must still vote on each article of the legislation Thursday before it can become law . `` Do n't bow your head , it 's time for resistance and struggle , '' marchers chanted in the capital earlier as they gathered for the union-backed demonstration . The violence broke out around lunchtime in one corner of the square , beside Parliament House , as a group of protesters dressed mostly in black threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at police . Officers fired tear gas and stun grenades , or `` flash bangs , '' in return , sending noisy detonations echoing round the square . Smoke filled the area by mid-afternoon as a fire burned in front of the finance ministry , forcing many peaceful demonstrators to move away . Police estimated that more than 70,000 people were protesting in Athens , and said they planned to put between 2,500 and 3,000 officers on the streets . Organizers estimated the turnout at 120,000 people . Initially , most of the protesters gathered peacefully in front of Parliament House waving union flags , red flags and banners . `` I 'm here for my children and everyone else 's children . Those punks in there have destroyed everyone 's lives , '' said former railway worker Diamandis Goufas , 62 , pointing at parliament . Greeks are angry at yet another round of planned austerity measures as Greece tries to bring down its stratospheric debt . Lawmakers are trying to cut government costs to reassure international backers it is doing enough to earn the bailout funds they have promised to pour into the country , with the latest austerity measures expected to pass Thursday . The new bill would lead to around 30,000 job losses and further cuts to wages and pensions for workers in the public sector . That has left at least some Greeks furious at the countries demanding that Greece bring down its spending . `` We are not lazy ; it 's the Germans , they want to take our blood , '' said Eleftherios Zarkados . At least one student said Wednesday that Thursday would not mark the end of the battle between politicians and the public . `` We will continue to resist even if the measures pass , '' said Sophia Titou , 21 , a law student who works at an oil refinery . Many on the streets say they are angry that the well-off people they believe are benefiting from corruption and tax evasion are not being pursued , while public sector workers pay the price for Greece 's woes . European Union leaders are scrambling to minimize the effect of Greece 's debt on their common currency , the euro . Over the weekend , finance ministers from the world 's largest economies pledged their commitment to take `` all necessary actions '' to stabilize markets . They aim to keep banks well capitalized so they can weather the effects of any defaults by Greece or other indebted countries like Portugal , Spain , Ireland or Italy . But there appears to be a split between France and Germany -- Europe 's two largest economies -- on how to do it . Germany has stressed that individual European states should inject capital into domestic banks that lack sufficient buffers . But analysts say France is opposed to this idea because it could jeopardize the nation 's top-tier credit rating . European leaders are expected to hear concrete details about how the plan might work at a European Council meeting Sunday . European Union heads of state are widely expected to finalize the plan in early November at a meeting of the Group of 20 world economic powers . CNN 's Andrew Carey , Diana Magnay and Ben Rooney contributed to this report . | What has been passed in Greece ? | 96:98 |
./cnn/stories/b701bce15e9be2f3350cdf610f8255e6480041cf.story | LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza moved a step closer Friday to extradition to the U.S. , where he faces terrorism-related charges . Abu Hamza al-Masri 's followers include the `` shoe bomber '' and the only person charged in the 9/11 attacks . UK authorities had ordered his extradition , but he appealed . Britain 's High Court dismissed the appeal Friday , a spokesman for Britain 's Home Office said . That gives the Egyptian-born cleric , who lives in London , 14 days to apply to the High Court for permission to appeal to the House of Lords . The one-eyed , hook-handed cleric faces 11 terrorism-related charges in the U.S. . They include conspiracy in connection with a 1998 kidnapping in Yemen and conspiring with others to establish an Islamic jihad , or holy war , training camp in rural Bly , Oregon in 1999 . Abu Hamza , one of the highest-profile radical Islamic figures in Britain , is already in prison for inciting racial hatred at his North London mosque . He was convicted in Britain on 11 terror-related charges and sentenced to seven years prison in 2006 . If he is extradited , his British sentence could be interrupted so he could stand trial in the U.S. , the Home Office has said . If he receives a prison sentence in the U.S. , he would return to England to complete his sentence there before serving time back in the States , the Home Office said . Abu Hamza formerly preached at the Finsbury Park Mosque in London . His followers included the so-called `` shoe bomber '' Richard Reid , who was convicted of trying to light a bomb in his shoes on a trans-Atlantic flight . They also included Zacarias Moussaoui , who was charged in the U.S. over the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terror attacks . The cleric was also convicted of possessing eight video and audio recordings , which prosecutors said he intended to distribute to stir up racial hatred . In all , police seized some 2,700 audio tapes and about 570 video tapes from two addresses -- one of them his home - during raids in 2003 . The material included a 10-volume `` encyclopedia '' of Afghan jihad , which prosecutor David Perry described as `` a manual for terrorism . '' The texts discussed how to make explosives , explained assassination methods and detailed the best means of attack . Both non-Muslims and Muslims condemned his preaching , which include praising the Sept. 11 , 2001 , attacks on the U.S. , calling al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden a hero , and describing the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster as punishment from Allah because the astronauts were Christian , Hindu and Jewish . | Who are his followers ? | 35:49 |
./cnn/stories/cae6ae56690280dbd787bf694e000b3095751bea.story | EL PASO , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The cell phone rang as Jorge Aguirre walked to a friend 's funeral in Juarez , Mexico , last November -- a funeral for a fellow journalist who , Aguirre says , was assassinated for the critical stories he wrote . Mexican federal police recently began patrolling Ciudad Juarez , just across the border from El Paso , Texas . When he answered the phone , Aguirre heard a profanity-laced threat . `` They told me I was next , '' Aguirre told CNN . `` I thought they were going to kill me right there . '' Aguirre immediately gathered up his family and darted across the border into El Paso , Texas . He has n't returned to Juarez since that day . Aguirre is seeking asylum in the United States , and he 's part of a growing trend among Mexican citizens looking to escape the violence and corruption of their homeland . Watch journalists met with death threats '' According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services , an agency that falls under the Department of Homeland Security , the number of Mexican nationals requesting asylum in the United States based on `` credible fear '' has gone up every year since 2003 , even as the overall number of `` credible fear '' asylum cases remains steady . In 2003 , the USCIS reported 54 asylum cases from Mexican citizens . In 2008 , that number reached 312 . But asylum requests based on fear of violence are n't easy cases to make . Last year , the United States approved less than half of those cases . `` Whether they 're fleeing extortionists or potential kidnappers or they 're leaving because of the drug cartels , it tells you there are definitely problems in Mexico right now , '' said El Paso Mayor John Cook . Those seeking asylum come from every walk of life . There are journalists , entrepreneurs and even law enforcement officials , including three police chiefs . For Raymond Cobos , the sheriff in Luna County , New Mexico , this is the most disturbing revelation . Just across the Mexican border is a dusty , far-flung outpost called Palomas , a speck of a town that 's a popular path for drug trafficking and human smuggling . It 's also been the site of wild gunbattles between cops and the cartels . The cartels outgunned the police force , and the police chief disappeared and sought asylum in the United States . It 's not clear where his case stands or where the police chief is today . `` I do n't know what I would do . It 's pretty hard to fight that type of situation by yourself -- if you 're in an environment that you do n't know from one day to the next if someone 's going to knock on your door and blast your family away , '' Cobos said . Emilio Gutierrez is another journalist hiding in El Paso . He wrote stories critical of the Mexican government for a small newspaper in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua , which shares a border with Texas and New Mexico . Watch cops say U.S. teens were cartel hit men '' Last May , Gutierrez says men dressed in Mexican military fatigues raided his home in the middle of the night . He was told they were looking for drugs and weapons . A month later , a friend called , frantically urging him to hide . Gutierrez grabbed his family , drove to El Paso and requested asylum . He spent seven months in a U.S. jail as his case moved through the immigration system . He 's recently been allowed to leave the jail while his request is pending . He 's now in hiding in El Paso . `` The fear never ends , '' Gutierrez told CNN . `` We 're scared for our families that are still on the other side , and we 're scared for ourselves . '' Gutierrez and Aguirre offer a chilling perspective on everyday life in areas of Mexico that are consumed with violence and corruption . They describe a situation that has left ordinary citizens unable to trust anyone in positions of authority . `` Thousands of families are in danger of being killed , '' Aguirre said . `` They 're vulnerable because they ca n't go to the police for help because that might get them killed . '' | What is the name of the police chief who is missing ? | 13:15 |
./cnn/stories/72cabb78e41cc3a71feae2573550e1ca6d7d0460.story | Philadelphia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Boxing great Joe Frazier , who went toe to toe three times with Muhammad Ali , including the famous `` Thrilla in Manila '' fight , is seriously ill with liver cancer and is in a hospice , his personal and business manager said Saturday . Frazier , 67 , is in a Philadelphia facility , manager Leslie Wolff said . The former heavyweight champion was diagnosed just four or five weeks ago . `` He 's a true gentleman , '' Wolff said . `` Along with Muhammad Ali , -LRB- he is -RRB- one of the two most recognizable athletes in the world . '' Frazier , nicknamed `` Smokin ' Joe , '' used his devastating left hook with impunity during his professional career , retiring with a 32-4-1 record . Frazier , the son of a South Carolina sharecropper , boxed during the glory days of the heavyweight division , going up against greats George Foreman , Oscar Bonavena , Joe Bugner and Jimmy Ellis . But it was his three much-hyped fights against Ali that helped seal his legend . Frazier bested Ali at 1971 's `` Fight of the Century '' at Madison Square Garden . In the 15th round , Frazier landed perhaps the most famous left hook in history , catching Ali on the jaw and dropping the former champ for a four-count , according to Frazier 's bio at the International Boxing Hall of Fame . Frazier left the ring still the champ after handing Ali his first professional defeat . SI : Top 10 greatest fights of all time Ali won a 12-round decision in a January 1974 rematch , setting the stage for the classic `` Thrilla in Manila '' just outside the Philippine capital in 1975 . Ali took the early rounds , but Frazier rebounded before losing the last five rounds . By the end of the 14th , Frazier 's eyes were nearly swollen shut , and his corner stopped the bout , according to the biography . Later , Ali said , `` It was the closest I 've come to death . '' Fans and well-wishers were encouraged to post their thoughts and prayers at joefrazierscorner.com . CNN 's Chuck Johnston contributed to this report . | When did Frazier fight Muhammad Ali ? | 194:196 |
./cnn/stories/a8c40ca9cffd2f9dfcfe8af3eeda54f5cf9758bd.story | WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Obama administration is working on a substantial sanctions package against Iran in case current diplomatic efforts to curb its nuclear program fail , top officials told Congress on Tuesday . Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levy also developed some of the existing financial sanctions against Iran . Under Secretary of the Treasury Stuart Levy , who developed some of the existing financial sanctions against Iran under the Bush administration , said at a Senate Banking Committee hearing that the `` comprehensive '' plan would target `` key vulnerabilities and fissures '' in Iran to show Tehran that it would face `` serious costs '' for thwarting international demands . `` It takes into account that no single sanction is a ` silver bullet ' ; we will need to impose measures simultaneously in many different forms in order to be effective , '' Levy said . He stressed , however , that the United States would be mindful of actions that would harm the Iranian people or undercut the opposition battling the Iranian government . The hearing comes as some members of Congress push for tougher U.S. sanctions on the Iranian regime in light of the recent revelation that Iran was building a second uranium enrichment facility near Qom , a dramatic development that jacked up tension between Iran and international powers . During talks last week in Geneva , Switzerland , between Iranian officials and representatives of the so-called P5 +1 -- the United States , Britain , France , German , Russia and China -- Iran agreed to admit inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Qom facility . Tehran also agreed `` in principle '' to ship its low-enriched uranium produced in Iran to third countries for further enrichment for a nuclear reactor used for medical research . Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg told the panel Tuesday that one reason for the Obama administration 's engagement toward Iran was to secure international support for sanctions if Iran continued to defy international demands . Last week 's talks , he said , shined a `` spotlight '' on Iran that makes inaction more costly . Levy also stressed that an international coalition was key to keeping pressure on Iran . `` Because financial measures are most effective when imposed as part of a broad-based effort with support of the largest possible international coalition , we are working closely with our allies as we put together this strategy , '' he said . `` The less united we are in applying pressure , the greater the risk our measures will not have the impact we seek . '' Several lawmakers expressed doubt that Iran would negotiate in good faith and threatened legislation to impose tough new sanctions against Tehran . Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd , D-Connecticut , said he planned to move forward this month on a proposal to expand financial restrictions , impose new sanctions on Iran 's oil and gas sectors and ban both the export of refined gasoline products to Iran and the import of Iranian goods . Steinberg said the United States and its allies will judge Iran 's seriousness about the talks by whether it makes good on its commitments to ship the uranium out of the country and admit the IAEA inspectors , who are expected to visit the Qom facility October 25 . `` By the end of the month , we will have some very clear indications of what their intentions are , '' he said . | What is the key to keeping the pressure up ? | 365:373 |
./cnn/stories/90385daf354c4fc25f4e850ff039017bfff07afc.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- His golf career might be in a seemingly downward spiral , but Tiger Woods is still the world 's most valuable sportsman according to a top business magazine . The American , who this week dropped out of the world 's top 50 golfers for the first time in 15 years , has retained his position as Forbes ' top individual sports brand . The 36-year-old has , according to Forbes ' calculations , lost $ 17 million from his brand worth in the past year . But his $ 55 million value is still $ 29 million higher than the second-placed athlete , tennis star Roger Federer . Despite the scandal that broke in late 2009 about the marital infidelities that led to his divorce from wife Elin Nordegren , Woods has begun to restore his portfolio of endorsements with June 's agreement with Japan 's Kowa Company , which deals in medical equipment and pharmaceuticals . Fellow golfer Phil Mickelson is ranked third with $ 24 million , while basketball star LeBron James is catching fast with $ 20 million . The Miami Heat player earned half that total from his deal with Nike -- again Forbes ' most valuable overall brand , up 40 % to $ 15 billion after spreading its swoosh into even more world markets . English football club Manchester United lost top spot in the team brands to baseball 's New York Yankees . While United suffered due to the British pound weakening against the dollar , with a worth of $ 269 million , the Yankees ' value -- now $ 340 million -- has boomed 57 % since 2007 according to Forbes ' Mike Ozanian . `` Had the exchange rate held fast since 2007 the Red Devils , who are looking to capitalize on their global fan base with an IPO -LRB- public share offering -RRB- , would still be the most valuable team brand , '' Ozanian said . The NFL 's showpiece Super Bowl , with a brand value of $ 425 million , stayed well clear of the Summer Olympics -LRB- $ 230 million -RRB- and the FIFA World Cup -LRB- $ 147 million -RRB- . | Who is tiger woods ? | 20:26 |
./cnn/stories/f85e12129885fad0eabd6a1c6b6b24dbf8948db5.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The owner of a North Carolina beach house where seven college students died in a weekend fire said Monday that his family 's `` lives were just changed forever '' by the tragedy . Chip Auman said his 18-year-old daughter survived the fire but was hospitalized and in stable condition because of complications from smoke inhalation . `` The thought of losing a child is unimaginable to me , and as a father my heart goes out to the families that lost a loved one in this situation , '' he said . Auman said the situation was `` hard to fathom . '' `` There 's just no words to describe what we 've been going through , '' he said , asking for prayers for survivors and the families of those who died . `` We 're numb , we 're confused , we 're heartbroken . '' Two college campuses mourned Monday . Six University of South Carolina students and a Clemson University student died in the fire early Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach , North Carolina . Six other South Carolina students were able to get out of the house in time . The six were treated and released from nearby Brunswick Community Hospital , but Auman 's daughter was hospitalized again in Hartsville , South Carolina . Authorities from the state Bureau of Investigation and the federal Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives are leading the investigation into the cause of the fire . Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith said the house was `` engulfed '' in flames when the fire department arrived on the scene , about five minutes after being notified . The flames shot into the sky and ultimately left little more than portions of the framing . Fire officials do not believe foul play was involved . Watch a neighbor 's video , fears of fast-burning fire '' Dennis A. Pruitt , the vice president for student affairs for the University of South Carolina , said investigators have said it would be Tuesday or Wednesday before the identities of the victims are confirmed publicly . It could be as much as a month until investigators know the cause of the fire , Pruitt said . The university did not cancel classes on Monday , but Pruitt said arrangements had been made for those who need to go home or stay out of class at the 28,000-student campus . Pruitt said meetings had been held Sunday with members of Delta Delta Delta sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity . The South Carolina students were affiliated with those houses , he said , although he stressed that the weekend was not an official Greek function . He also said counselors and ministers were available to help students deal with the loss of their classmates . The university president , Dr. Andrew Sorenson , contacted the families of those who died in the fire to express the condolences and support of the university community . Jay Laura , student president of the USC chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon , said the campus would pull together after the tragedy . `` If any place can come together to help in the healing process and the aftermath of an event like this , it is South Carolina , '' Laura said at a Monday afternoon press conference . Fire survivor Tripp Wylie , a 20-year-old South Carolina sophomore , said he jumped out of a third-story window into a canal to escape the flames and was unable to get back in to help his friends . `` I could see a buddy of mine off to the left who had gotten out . He was just yelling at me to jump and stuff , '' Wylie told CNN affiliate WYFF . `` The smoke was pouring out , could n't really breathe , so I had to make a quick decision . -LSB- I -RSB- just kind of leaned out the window and luckily I jumped far enough to make it into the canal . '' Neighbors flocked to see the fire as firefighters battled and ultimately got the blaze under control . See the scenes of devastation '' George Smith , who lives across the street from the house , said he heard sirens between 6:30 and 7 a.m. and went outside to see `` the whole sky lit up . '' `` The whole house was completely engulfed in flames , up to about 20 feet , '' he said . `` I have never seen -LSB- a fire -RSB- move so fast . '' George Smith said the house 's occupants were `` partying in there yesterday and into the night . '' After about 10:30 p.m. Saturday they quieted down , he said . Linda Sing said she was walking her dog when she saw the fiery destruction . She noted that firefighters had saved an adjacent house by spraying it down with water . `` We knew there were people in there , but we hoped and prayed they 'd gotten out , '' Sing said . `` This is the worst thing I 've ever seen . We 've had hurricanes , but this is worse . '' Ocean Isle Beach is a popular resort destination along North Carolina 's southern coast . The year-round population of the 7-mile-long island is about 425 , but it swells to about 25,000 during the summer season , according to the town 's Web site . E-mail to a friend | What happened survivor who jumped out window | 599:608 |
./cnn/stories/55986d11e0d0e5b031567157cf1f157610c65c31.story | HARYANA , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a nation of more than a billion people and millions of unresolved court cases , how do you take care of the backlog ? Long distances over questionable roads stop many Indians from making it into courtrooms . Solution : You take the courts to the people . A bell rings . A bailiff yells out the name of the accused . It 's another day in the mobile courtroom of Judge Sandeep Singh . His courtroom is a desk plopped down in the middle of a dusty schoolyard in the northern Indian village of Haryana . `` It works like any other regular court , '' Singh said . `` The only difference is that instead of people going to the court , the court comes to the village . '' The mobile court is bused into rural areas to hear both criminal and civil complaints as part of an effort to dig the nation 's court system out from under an enormous backlog of cases . With an estimated 300 million unresolved cases languishing in Indian courts , one consultant believes , it could take more than 300 years to clear the docket at the current pace . There 's one main reason for the backlog : inconvenience . People often have to travel long distances over questionable roads , using slow modes of transportation . `` The witnesses -- definitely , they do n't show up -- and even the parties -- they do n't show up -- and they send their advocate , '' Singh said . `` But here , people are closer by , so definitely it makes a difference . '' With distance no longer a problem , more villagers and their attorneys are coming to hearings . Compared to the traditional legal system , the mobile court claims to be both fast and efficient . Singh said he has been able to clear 1,100 cases in just six months time compared to 500 under the traditional court system . E-mail to a friend | What is more convenient ? | 141:143 |
./cnn/stories/5282bc477156595129ad336e104ca87dabd54840.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , pet store expecting a shipment of exotic fish this week found itself with a man 's dead body instead . The man 's widow told CNN that it might have been her husband 's `` last practical joke . '' The body of Jon Kenoyer , a California man who suffered from Alzheimer 's disease , was being donated to an Allentown , Pennsylvania , research group , Life Quest Anatomical . The shipment was handled by US Airways , which also has delivered imported fish from throughout the world to Pets Plus Pet Center for more than a decade , store manager Mike Mullarkey said . On Tuesday , Mullarkey said , he received what he thought was an expected shipment of seahorses , anemones and corals from Vietnam via California . Before opening it , however , he discovered that the box 's label indicated that it contained the remains of a man who had died four days before . The Pets Plus people were `` shocked to see that , '' he said . Mary Kenoyer , Jon Kenoyer 's widow , told CNN that she was initially startled by the news , but was able to see the comic side of it . `` At first , of course , you 're upset and shocked . But then I realized it was just a mistake , '' she said . Noting her husband had been afraid of flying during his life , she said , `` He 's just playing the last practical joke on me for putting him on a plane . '' Kenoyer said she hopes news of the mistake wo n't discourage others from donating their bodies to science . `` The casket was n't opened and was treated with respect , '' she said . Mullarkey said police supervised the return of the shipment to US Airways , which rerouted it to Life Quest . `` In all the years , I can understand a mixup , '' Mullarkey said . `` But something like that , I think , should be handled a little more delicately . '' US Airways issued a statement of apology : `` Regrettably , there was an unfortunate mixup yesterday at the US Airways Cargo facility near Philadelphia International Airport . The mixup occurred due to a verbal miscommunication between a delivery driver and the cargo representative . We are working to rectify the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this has caused . '' A spokeswoman at Life Quest Anatomical declined to comment . | Where was the body supposed to be shipped ? | 77:80 |
./cnn/stories/bd2671153b0103b968eaebc3d23435fc20cc999c.story | MADRID , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The world may soon know for sure where Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca rests after fascists executed him in 1936 during Spain 's Civil War . A team from the Andalucia Geophysics Institut at work in the Federico Garcia Lorca Park , Spain . Officials in southern Spain Friday cleared the last legal hurdle to permit exhuming a mass grave site in a village near Granada where Lorca and some other Civil War victims are thought to be buried , CNN partner station CNN + reported . The area has been fenced off for weeks as scientists conducted preparatory work . Next Monday -LRB- October 19 -RRB- they are due to erect a large tent over the site so that exhumation can be conducted confidentially , said Andalusia regional government justice councilor Begona Alvarez , CNN + reported from Granada . The potential exhumation of Lorca is part of a broader effort in Spain that already has resulted in various mass graves being dug up and could lead to thousands of other Spaniards still thought to be in mass graves . Many were killed by right-wing forces loyal to General Francisco Franco , who won the three-year long Civil War , which began in 1936 . Franco went on to rule Spain with an iron fist until his death in 1975 . For years , Lorca descendants have argued that Lorca -- whose poems and plays are widely studied at universities , including his `` Poet in New York '' -- should not be exhumed , mainly so that he would not be seen as more important than the many other Civil War victims thought to be in nearby mass graves . In a statement earlier this month , Lorca descendants noted the complexity of the issue , because relatives of some others thought to be in the gravesite have requested their removal , identification , and permission to bury their remains in hometown cemeteries . In their October 2 statement , six Lorca descendants reiterated their request that Lorca 's presumed remains not be disturbed . But they also reserved the right to have them identified in the future , and they asked authorities to designate the current mass grave site as a legally defined resting place . It is already a park , in the village of Alfacar , because that 's where it 's long been thought that Lorca , captured by Franco loyalists early in the Civil War , was shot dead , according to historians who interviewed witnesses and local villagers . Relatives of a bullfighter , Francisco Galadi , a tax inspector , Fermin Roldan and a restaurant owner , Miguel Cobo , have asked authorities to identify their remains , officials said . But in the case of teacher Dioscoro Galindo , also executed and thought to be in the mass grave , two of his nieces are at odds over whether to exhume him or not , so officials will not act until that family reaches a common position , CNN + reported . Irish author Ian Gibson , who is a leading scholar on Lorca , told CNN last year , `` Lorca is the most famous victim of the Civil War . I think Lorca can be a symbol for reconciliation of the Civil War . '' Spanish parliament in 2007 , led by the Socialist government , passed a law condemning Franco 's dictatorship and calling on town halls to fund initiatives to unearth mass graves . It also sought to honor Roman Catholic clergy and others executed by the losing side in the war , the forces loyal to the leftist Republican government . Since then , some prominent statutes of Franco have been removed from public view , but others remain , along with numerous streets in Spain named for Franco or his top generals . More recently , there have been efforts to try to exhume presumed Franco victims from a mass grave at his large mausoleum site , the Valley of the Fallen , just outside of Madrid , where Franco himself is buried . | Where is the exhumed mass grave located ? | 72:75 |
./cnn/stories/c7f406294c745891d637dab306a6797dfbedbd7e.story | NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The British are coming , the British are coming -- to Brooklyn ? By subway ? Barclays has paid $ 300 million for the naming rights to the New Jersey Nets arena . New York 's struggling Metropolitan Transportation Authority has sold the naming rights to the second-busiest subway stop in Brooklyn . The Atlantic Avenue-Pacific Street Station will now have the name of a British bank , Barclays , added to it . Several subway riders are outraged that Barclays has purchased the naming rights to this subway stop , which sees about 10 million people go through it each day . One straphanger said , `` A London Bank should n't be the name of this train station ; it 's something that belongs to the public domain . '' Another said , `` It 's just everywhere we go , everything we do , it 's just branding , branding , branding . It 's America now . '' Renaming the Atlantic-Pacific Station is tied to the construction of Barclays Center , the new sports arena for the National Basketball Association 's New Jersey Nets . Barclays is paying developer Forest City Ratner $ 300 million for naming rights to this arena . Ratner , in a separate deal , will be paying the Metropolitan Transportation Authority $ 200,000 a year for the next 20 years to rename this commuter hub . Authority Press Secretary Jeremy Soffin said , `` Like transit systems all over the U.S. and around the world , we are facing budget deficits . '' In an effort to bridge the authority 's $ 1 billion deficit , the transit giant that oversees the operation of the city 's subways , buses and rail lines wants to follow the Barclays example with stations throughout the system . Though the Atlantic-Pacific subway station is the first in New York for which naming rights have been sold , across the country , there have been several cases of public transportation systems using naming rights to increase revenue . In 2003 , the Las Vegas monorail system signed a 12-year , $ 50 million deal with Nextel to put its name on the station in the Las Vegas Convention Center . The Cleveland Bus System sold station names to two hospitals for $ 1.1 million a year . Internationally , Dubai 's Roads and Transport Authority has been selling the naming rights of 23 metro stations . However , not all naming rights deals are successful . In 2001 , the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority tried to raise $ 22 million by auctioning the naming rights to four historic `` T '' stations . It received no bids . Reassuring the public that there are certain lines they wo n't cross when it comes to renaming stations of historical value , Soffin said , `` It 's a very clear line there , and we want to be as open as possible , but we 're not sort of selling the shop here . '' | How much did the developer pay for rights ? | 26:28 |
./cnn/stories/2bda316df5f9f3cf14141ff63353bcdccfc37f2f.story | WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Supreme Court offered unanimous support for police Wednesday by allowing drug evidence gathered after an arrest that violated state law to be used at trial , an important search-and-seizure case turning on the constitutional limits of `` probable cause . '' The Supreme Court unanimously gave police broader powers to search for and seize evidence . `` When officers have probable cause to believe that a person has committed a crime in their presence , the Fourth Amendment permits them to make an arrest , and to search the suspect in order to safeguard evidence and ensure their own safety , '' Justice Antonin Scalia wrote . David Lee Moore was stopped by Portsmouth , Virginia , officers five years ago for driving his vehicle on a suspended license . Under state law in such incidents , only a summons is to be issued and the motorist is to be allowed to go . Instead , detectives detained Moore for almost an hour , arrested him , then searched him and found cocaine . At trial , Moore 's lawyers tried to suppress the evidence , but the state judge allowed it , even though the court noted the arrest violated state law . A police detective , asked why the man was arrested , replied , `` Just our prerogative . '' While some of the justices expressed concern about that level of discretion at oral arguments in January , their 9-0 ruling raised few such doubts . `` The arrest rules that the officers violated were those of state law alone , '' Scalia said . `` It is not the province of the Fourth Amendment to enforce state law . '' The state had argued an arrest is constitutionally reasonable if officers have probable cause to believe a suspect has committed a crime . `` This standard represents the best compromise between the needs of the citizens and the duty of the government to combat crime , '' Stephen McCullough , Virginia 's deputy solicitor general , had told the high court . But Moore 's attorney , Thomas Goldstein , called an `` extreme proposition '' the idea that it would be reasonable `` to go out and arrest someone for a non-arrestable offense and not only do that , but having committed that trespass at common law , to further search them . '' There has been widespread judicial confusion over how such police searches should be handled . Some lower courts had ruled that when state arrest law is violated , the Constitution provides a remedy in the suppression of any evidence resulting from the arrest and a related search . But the justices agreed with the majority of courts that said constitutional requirements are satisfied when an officer has probable cause to make an arrest , even if some provision of state law was violated in the process . Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote a concurring opinion suggesting Virginia change its law to make driving on a suspended license an arrestable offense . During arguments , Ginsburg spoke for several colleagues when she pointed out that if a summons had been issued in Moore 's case , any incriminating evidence would have been excluded . `` Would you explain the logic to saying that when the police violate state law , then the evidence can come in , but when they comply with state law , it ca n't , '' she asked . The ruling means Moore 's original jury conviction and 3 - 1/2 year prison term will stand . E-mail to a friend | what did police do ? | 162:179 |
./cnn/stories/ff26a07c093095b17d2fee253108101d98606f16.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal investigators are concerned a potential danger persists because of the simultaneous use of intersecting runways at Newark Liberty International Airport , one of the nation 's busiest and a gateway to the New York metro area . The alert comes after repeated instances in which planes above the Newark airport flew too close to each other in violation of safety standards . There were four such instances last year and at least four this year , according to the U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general . In one case , on January 16 , 2008 , two Continental planes -- a Boeing B-737 and an Embraer 145 -- missed each other by 600 feet , according to a DOT inspector general 's report . `` That was very scary . I was there for that one personally in the control tower , and it scared the heck out of everybody up there , '' said Ray Adams , a Newark air traffic controller . Potential danger arises when approaching planes need to abort their landings , which happens about every 700 flights at Newark , according to a Federal Aviation Administration analysis . In what the FAA calls `` go-arounds , '' the diverted plane approaching Newark has to make a sharp right turn through the flight path of planes landing and taking off from an intersecting runway , allowing little margin for error . `` There was a distinct possibility that we could have had a collision with these operations , '' Adams said . Adams said he raised the safety issue to the FAA but got nowhere . He persisted , taking his complaint to New Jersey 's congressional delegation , which organized two meetings last year with FAA officials . In response , Adams said , he was punished , put on paid leave for 11 months , then leave without pay for a month . The FAA said the disciplinary actions had nothing to do with Adams ' safety complaints . Adams filed a whistle-blower complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel , the agency that investigates whistle-blower complaints . Adams ' complaint led DOT Inspector General Calvin Scovel to investigate . Scovel found merit in Adams ' concerns , concluding in a report two months ago that `` questions about the safety of the runway 22L-11 approach configuration at Newark persist . '' In response , the FAA promised to use a computer program that helps air traffic controllers stagger aircraft to ensure proper spacing . On November 5 , the DOT wrote to the Office of Special Counsel confirming the computer system had been put to use at Newark on October 26 . The next day the Office of Special Counsel learned the technology was no longer in use at Newark . `` I am outraged , '' said Rep. Donald Payne , D-New Jersey . `` When you put into jeopardy the human lives at risk , it ca n't get any more serious than that . '' FAA spokesperson Laura Brown said , `` There was no intent to deceive anyone about what we were doing . '' She added , `` FAA safety officers wanted to make absolutely sure employees were fully trained on the equipment . '' The FAA said it intends to have the computer system fully operational at Newark by mid-December . Last week the Office of Special Counsel raised the matter with President Obama , writing that `` we found a substantial likelihood that FAA officials were engaging in conduct that constitutes gross mismanagement and a substantial and specific danger to public safety . '' Meanwhile , after a year out of the control tower , Adams returned to his regular job Wednesday at Newark air traffic control . | What is to be used in December ? | 413:422 |
./cnn/stories/8f1c5b2a77ef95bc4bc3643b4e4b946722464d58.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World champion Casey Stoner won the Valencia MotoGP , the final race of the season , after a thrilling battle with American Ben Spies all the way to the line . Stoner led for most of the 30-lap race before Spies overtook him with three laps remaining . However , the Australian regained the lead to win by just one hundredth of a second and secure his 10th victory of a dominant season . Spies , who won his first ever MotoGP at Assen in June , had to settle for second place with Italian Andrea Dovizioso third . Briton Cal Crutchlow , Spain 's Dani Pedrosa and Katsuyuki Nakasuga of Japan completed the top six . Spies told reporters : `` We tried to just be careful on the last lap as it had started to rain quite heavily . `` Casey took a couple more risks in the last couple of corners and had a bit more motor than me down the straight , '' he added . Stoner , who had already sealed his second world championship triumph prior to Sunday 's race , said : `` It was the last lap of the last race of the year so I thought , ` Let 's just go for it ' -- and I got it . It was one of the hairiest races of my career . '' The win ensured the Honda rider finished on 350 points , 90 points ahead of 2010 world champion Jorge Lorenzo , who was forced to miss the final race because of a finger injury . Dovizioso 's third place ensured he claimed third in the overall standings with 228 points , ahead of Pedrosa on 219 points and Spies on 176 . The race was the first since the tragic death of Marco Simoncelli in a crash in Malaysia a fortnight ago and , prior to racing , riders from the MotoGP , Moto2 and 125cc categories united to perform a lap of honor to remember the late Italian . | Who was third ? | 99:101 |
./cnn/stories/f220a617e9d5effb43333161b9f3e63eb54e6816.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sachin Tendulkar 's wait for a history-making 100th international century continues after the legendary Indian cricketer fell short again in the first Test against Australia in Melbourne on Tuesday . The 38-year-old `` Little Master '' was dismissed for 73 in the final over of the second day as the tourists reached 214-3 in reply to Australia 's first-innings total of 333 . Tendulkar is international cricket 's record run scorer in both the five-day and limited overs formats but has been stranded on 99 centuries since March . He added 117 with Rahul Dravid after coming to the crease at 97-2 , following opening batsman Virender Sehwag 's quickfire 67 off 83 balls . Sehwag passed 8,000 runs in Tests as he registered his 31st half-century . Australia lose late wickets against India Tendulkar continued the brisk pace , as he hit eight fours and a six from 98 deliveries faced , reaching his 64th Test half-century before being bowled by Peter Siddle . Dravid was unbeaten on a patient 65 off 185 balls , with the 38-year-old notching his 63rd Test fifty , while Ishant Sharma successfully negotiated the final three balls of the day to leave India 119 runs behind Australia with seven wickets remaining . Dravid is the second-highest Test run scorer of all time behind Tendulkar on 13,162 , having extended his margin over Australia 's Ricky Ponting -LRB- 12,718 -RRB- . India , seeking a first series victory in Australia in 64 years in the four-match competition , lost an early wicket when Gautam Gambhir was caught by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin off the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus for just three runs with the score at 22 . Australia had resumed on 277-6 , with Haddin on 21 and Siddle unbeaten on 34 . Both fell to Zaheer Khan with the addition of only 14 runs as Haddin was caught by Sehwag for 27 and Siddle by wicketkeeper captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 41 . Left-arm fast bowler Khan ended with figures of 4-77 off 31 overs , while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took the last two wickets to fall to finish with 3-81 . Ashwin said the Indians were not concerned by Tendulkar 's failure to reach the coveted landmark . `` It 's going to eventually happen , no point in bothering about it . We 're very happy to be in the position we are presently , '' the 25-year-old told reporters . In other Test action Tuesday , left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedera took five wickets for 52 runs as Sri Lanka bowled out South Africa for just 168 at Kingsmead in Durban . It left the tourists with a commanding first innings lead of 170 in the second Test , having lost the first by an innings and 81 runs . Sri Lanka lost captain Tillekeratne Dilshan , dismissed by Dale Steyn , to be seven for one when bad light drew proceedings on the second day to an early close . Welegedera had all his victims caught behind or in the slips and was superbly backed up by left-arm spinner Rangana Herath , who four for 49 . Earlier , Sri Lanka were bowled out for 338 with Thilan Samaraweera the last man out for 102 . Marchant de Lange took seven wickets for 81 on his debut for South Africa , the best figures recorded by any bowler in Test cricket in 2011 . | Who has been dismissed for 73 ? | 5:7 |
./cnn/stories/083bc4309f2ea52be2a378e78566d7dcc9f4dd73.story | NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Topps Meat Co. on Saturday expanded a recall of ground beef from about 300,000 pounds to 21.7 million pounds , one of the largest meat recalls in U.S. history . The recalled products are all ground beef patties with various brand names . In a statement , the Elizabeth , New Jersey , company said the hamburger patties may be contaminated with E. coli O157 : H7 , a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea and cramps , as well as other complications . A statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said 25 illnesses are under investigation in Connecticut , Florida , Indiana , Maine , New Jersey , New York , Ohio and Pennsylvania . The ground beef products being recalled have a `` sell by date '' or a `` best if used by date '' between September 25 , 2007 , and September 25 , 2008 , Topps ' statement said . Watch the latest on the beef recall '' The packages also have the marking `` Est. 9748 '' inside the USDA mark of inspection . Tuesday , the company announced a recall of about 331,000 pounds of hamburger meat , according to the USDA . `` Because the health and safety of our consumers is our top priority , we are taking these expansive measures , '' said Vice President of Operations Geoffrey Livermore in the statement . `` Topps is continuing to work with the USDA , state departments of health , retailers and distributors to ensure the safety of our consumers . Additionally , we have augmented our internal quality control procedures with microbiologists and food safety experts . We sincerely regret any inconvenience and concerns this may cause our consumers , '' Livermore said . This is the company 's first recall in its 65 years of business , the statement said . Consumers who find the products at home are asked to cut off the UPC code and return it to Topps for a full refund , then dispose of the product immediately , Topps spokeswoman Michelle Williams said . The company said to avoid E. coli , consumers should wash hands thoroughly after handling the beef . Topps set up a toll-free recall help line at -LRB-888-RRB- 734-0451 . Williams said because the products may have been produced up to a year ago , many of them have already been safely consumed . Production in the ground beef area of the company 's plant in Elizabeth has been shut down until all the investigations are complete , Williams said in a phone interview . `` We 're working with the USDA and the CDC -LSB- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -RSB- and conducting our own investigation , '' she added . The products , all ground beef patties and hamburgers with various brand names , were distributed mainly in the northeastern United States , but went to retailers in many other areas of the country as well , Williams said . While the sheer size of the recall is large , two other companies have been involved in larger recalls . In 2002 , Pilgrim 's Pride recalled more than 27 million pounds of poultry , and Hudson Foods recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef in 1997 . E-mail to a friend | Where have cases of illness been recorded ? | 105:122 |
./cnn/stories/e9735067991bddd59476a3b6ac339c35032f200b.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The two people who died Thursday night when their helicopter crashed into a mountain in the Dominican Republic were friends who had left their homes and family in Florida this week to help deliver aid to the people of Haiti , a son of one of the victims said Friday . The accident occurred about 7 p.m . in Dajabon , just east of the border with Haiti , said Rosani Zapata , a spokeswoman for the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute . The helicopter had filed a flight plan from Santiago to Jimani in the Dominican Republic , then on to Port-au-Prince in Haiti . It was en route back to Santiago when the crash occurred , she said . Aboard were pilot John Ward of Fort Myers , Florida , and James Jalovec , a 53-year-old Naples , Florida , businessman who owned Sweetwater Environmental Inc. , a sewage company based in Sebring . Mark Jalovec , 21 , told CNN in a telephone interview that his father began discussing the prospect of helping out a couple of days after the January 12 earthquake that devastated Haiti . `` It kind of caught everybody off guard , '' he said , noting that his father had never done anything similar . Still , he said , his father saw a fit . `` I got a helicopter ; these people are in desperate need -- he kind of decided it with Mr. Ward that they were going to do it , and that 's what they did . '' He said his father last called him Monday , after he and Ward had flown doctors from an orphanage outside Port-au-Prince to the Dominican Republic . Spencer Steadman , vice president and general manager of Sweetwater Environmental , described Ward as an experienced pilot who had long flown Jalovec to his business interests , which spanned the state . `` They had an engine failure on one here about three months ago , '' he told CNN in a telephone interview . `` He done a reverse autorotation and set that thing down . No injuries . Four people , they walked away . He was a very good pilot . '' The helicopter that crashed Thursday , a Robinson R44 , was two weeks old , he said . Steadman said he was not surprised when Jalovec called him Saturday night and said he was planning to depart Sunday morning for a week in the region . `` He seen a need , and it was a challenge , and that 's Jim , '' Steadman said . `` He was hard-core business . When he done business , he done business . That 's what he liked doing . He was very aggressive . ... If it was worth doing , he 'd do it . '' The cause of the crash is under investigation . | When did the crash occur ? | 9:11,58:61 |
./cnn/stories/b1be8a8a2190f1f5515e24680a017e541406e25c.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Desperation , sophisticated smuggling operations and the emergence of a small Italian island as a migrant destination provide the sad backdrop to Monday 's tragedy on the Mediterranean Sea -- the capsizing of a boat carrying African migrants from Libya to Italy . Libyan police officers help rescued migrants off an overcrowded boat that arrived this week in Tripoli . Jean-Philippe Chauzy , spokesman for the International Organization for Migration , said Tuesday that Libya for years has been a destination for migrants from the rest of Africa . Its relatively successful economy is a magnet for people from impoverished regions , and its proximity makes it a logical jumping-off point for Europe . People from places such as Ghana , Nigeria , Niger and Burkina Faso long have traveled to Tripoli and other Libyan locations and have gotten work there , from construction to washing cars . Chauzy said even people from the Horn of Africa , where Somalis and Ethiopians have fled to Yemen via the Gulf of Aden , are choosing to travel to Libya rather than pursue a trip to Yemen . Asians as well are opting to travel to Europe from Libya . While some Africans hope to settle in Libya , many others have their eyes on moving onward to Europe . They tend to sail to Lampedusa , an Italian island lying southwest of Sicily and just north of the African coast -- considered an advantageous way station for entrance into Europe . Italy has been bolstering its efforts to stop the illegal traffic . Some of the people who find their way to the island get asylum . Some migrants eventually are returned to their home countries , but others are taken from Lampedusa to facilities on the mainland , where they are sometimes simply released instead of being deported . Chauzy said people head to Europe first and foremost to help their families back home with a paycheck . He said the global economic crisis has led to a drop in the money sent back home , and that in turn has affected hurting African economies , where prices for staple crops have plummeted . He said that the bolstering of border controls sparked by such a tragedy could prompt migrants to take other dangerous routes . Watch as details emerge on latest tragedy '' Officials said at least hundreds of migrants are believed to have perished in the Mediterranean over the past year . In the latest incident , more than 200 African migrants are believed to have died after their vessel , carrying 250 people , capsized in rough waters . At least 20 people are confirmed dead , and 23 have been rescued . Another boat with more than 350 migrants aboard was rescued , and these migrants -- mostly Africans but also including some Asians -- were taken to Tripoli in Libya . The International Organization for Migration believes there are two other boats in the Mediterranean that could be carrying migrants . The flight of migrants on rough seas is not just a local phenomenon . `` We are seeing it all over the world , '' U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said Tuesday . Smugglers , for example , also take people from western Africa to the Canary Islands , from Myanmar to Thailand , and from Turkey to Greece . Guterres said the tragedy shows the urgent measures people take `` to escape conflict , persecution and poverty in search of a better life . '' Some of the people can be classified as refugees -- people fleeing war and persecution and who could qualify for asylum in other countries . Others are migrants from countries where there is no persecution . They are in search of jobs and a better life . Thousands have died on their journeys , but thousands have survived as well , with many awaiting asylum and resettlement opportunities . There has been much publicity about the flight of Ethiopians and Somalis across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen . Many have died en route , with smugglers at times throwing people overboard to avoid getting arrested by navies for their operations . Ron Redmond , the UNHCR spokesman , said he believes such movement will persist as the `` economic situation continues to worsen worldwide . '' The agency said the number of asylum seekers in industrialized countries increased last year for the second year running , in part because of higher numbers of asylum applications by citizens of Afghanistan , Somalia and other turbulent nations . Last year , 36,000 people arrived in Italy by sea from North Africa . Some 75 percent of them applied for asylum , and about 50 percent of those received some form of international protection from the Italian authorities . Demetrios G. Papademetriou , president of Washington-based think tank Migration Policy Institute , said the movement of migrants is organized , with smuggling syndicates making `` obscene profits '' and `` enormous amounts of money . '' `` These are organized flows , '' Papademetriou said . As for the tragedy , `` you will see this again and again and again , '' he said . | What country has since long been a destination for migrants ? | 78:79 |
./cnn/stories/e66c67d6624f440fb74def0824b2e12d7b8b08bb.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon talk tough about cracking down on the deadly drug war , the United States is changing tactics in the battle against illegal narcotics at home . Legalizing marijuana is off the table , the White House says . The man Obama picked to be the new `` drug czar , '' Gil Kerlikowske , has made it clear that the United States is going to do a better job of treating addicts to try to reduce the demand for narcotics . Kerlikowske , 59 , is a military veteran with 36 years of law enforcement experience . The drug czar oversees an agency that sets the country 's drug-control strategy . The White House and Congress want to see more drug courts , and increased funding for the program 250 percent in the spending bill signed in March . It 's a campaign pledge that the Obama administration thinks will give nonviolent offenders `` a chance to serve their sentence , where appropriate , in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior , '' according to the White House Web site . Judge Paul Gluchowski , who works with the Prince William County Juvenile Drug Court in Virginia , dismissed the notion that a drug treatment program is the easy way out . Watch what it 's like inside the drug court '' If anyone thinks that , he said he 'd tell them they should `` come and talk to some of the participants . A lot of them probably wish they never agreed to undergo drug court . And a lot of them have given up because it 's too hard . '' Those who slip up in drug court can be forced to wear ankle-monitoring bracelets or put into juvenile detention . `` If they do n't give up , then when it comes time for graduation and you see the shine on their face , when you know that they have accomplished something , and they know that . That 's what it 's all about , '' Gluchowski said . Vice President Joe Biden stressed the importance of drug courts and prisoner re-entry programs when he announced Kerlikowske 's position in March , saying they `` can serve as the light at the end of the tunnel , of a very long , long dark tunnel , for those who are stuck in the cycle of drug addiction and incarceration . '' Kerlikowske said he was committed to tackling the nation 's drug problem , but noted that it would take a `` coordinated and multifaceted effort . '' `` The success of our efforts to reduce the flow of drugs is largely dependent on our ability to reduce demand for them , '' Kerlikowske said , calling the nation 's drug problem one of `` human suffering . '' `` It requires prosecutors and law enforcement , courts , treatment providers and prevention programs to exchange information and to work together . And our priority should be a seamless , comprehensive approach , '' he said . In meeting with Calderon on Thursday , Obama tried to show Mexico 's president that he is committed to ending a crisis that hits so close to home . Obama vowed to beef up security along the border and to work to slow the flow of guns and drugs . He said the United States shares responsibility for the drug problem , saying `` a demand for these drugs in the United States is what is helping to keep these cartels in business . '' But he also tried to limit expectations that there could be any sort of quick fix . `` Now , are we going to eliminate all drug flows ? Are we going to eliminate all guns coming over the border ? That 's not a realistic objective , '' he said . `` What is a realistic objective is to reduce it so significantly , so drastically that it becomes once again a localized criminal problem , as opposed to a major structural problem that threatens stability in communities along those borders . '' The White House has listened to those who say legalizing marijuana will pull the rug from under the violent cartels in Mexico and boost the U.S. economy , but that option is not on the table . Asked Thursday if that is something realistic , Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano quickly responded , `` No , it is not . '' Sixty percent of drug criminals sent to prison re-offend , compared to 17 percent of graduates of drug court , according to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals . Drug policy experts like those numbers , but say the nation needs more treatment options . `` For individuals who do n't have the resources , do n't have public health insurance , ca n't afford it themselves , the single best way that they can access treatment is to get arrested , '' said Ryan King , a policy analyst with the Sentencing Project . `` And that 's wrong . What we need to do is make sure for every American that is abusing drugs and wants to stop , that they have the resources made available to them , regardless of whether they can afford them . '' CNN 's Jim Acosta and Kristi Keck contributed to this report . | What does the drug court supporter say is more effective than jail time ? | 181:183 |
./cnn/stories/988bf4aaff32959cc553d24c380d638d6e3195cd.story | Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama toasted a growing U.S. friendship with India at the first state dinner of his administration Tuesday , an evening of regal pageantry and symbolic politics in a tent on the White House South Lawn . `` To the future that beckons all of us , '' Obama said with glass raised toward his guest of honor , visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh . `` Let us answer its call . And let our two great nations realize all the triumphs and achievements that await us . '' A tradition dating back to 1874 , state dinners are the most treasured and formal honor a U.S. president can offer a foreign dignitary , and the most coveted invitation in Washington . The Tuesday night dinner showed Obama 's intention to signal strong ties with the world 's largest democracy and go his own way in navigating the pomp and tradition of White House customs . Traditionally , a new administration 's first invitation goes to the leader of neighboring Canada or Mexico , though recent presidents also have n't followed that precedent . The event planned by first lady Michelle Obama emphasized eco-friendly themes such as White House-grown herbs and lettuce served to guests and sustainably harvested magnolia branches -- from species native to both India and the United States -- in arrangements adorning the tent where more than 300 guests wearing tuxedos and gowns were wined , dined and entertained . A White House document said common themes of state and official visits are `` forging friendships , exchanging knowledge and building bridges that last for years . '' In a toast that followed Obama 's , Singh praised his host 's leadership and prompted applause by citing the charm of the U.S. first lady . Obama 's election was `` an inspiration to all those who cherish the values of diversity , democracy and equal opportunity , '' Singh said , adding that India `` warmly applauded '' the Nobel Peace Prize awarded Obama this year for `` the healing touch you have provided and the power of your idealism and your vision . '' `` We need to find new pathways of international cooperation that respond more effectively to the grave challenges caused by the growing interdependence of nations , '' Singh said . `` As two leading democracies , India and the United States must play a leading role in building a shared destiny for all humankind . '' Obama , in a black tuxedo , and the first lady , in a dazzling cream gown with silver accents , greeted Singh and his wife , Gursharan Kaur , as they arrived , shaking hands on the White House steps and posing for pictures before leading their guests inside . Guests in tuxedos and evening gowns streamed into the White House for the historic social event , passing a line of journalists . In one humorous mishap , the cummerbund of Sen. Bob Casey , a Pennsylvania Democrat , fell off as he and his wife walked in . The guest list included political allies , a few opponents , celebrities and members of the Indian diplomatic community . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the list , but not her husband , former President Bill Clinton . Democratic colleagues of the president including other Cabinet ministers , several senators and top aides made the list , including Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts -LRB- but not his wife , Teresa Heinz Kerry -RRB- , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri , White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and White House Budget Director Peter Orszag . Ticker : See the list of expected attendees A couple of Republicans also made it , notably Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal . Celebrities included Hollywood director Steven Spielberg , actors Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood , CBS News anchor Katie Couric and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman . However , one name rumored to be included , but not appearing on the list , was Oprah Winfrey . The dinner , in a tent set up on the White House South Lawn with a view of the Washington Monument , featured round tables for 10 set in resplendent colors -- apple green , ruby , gold -- with floral arrangements of roses , hydrangeas and sweet peas in plum , purple and fuchsia . Place settings in fine china from three previous administrations -- Eisenhower , Clinton and George W. Bush -- were flanked by five pieces of silverware and crystal glasses . Place cards were in script -- `` The President '' and `` Mrs. Obama '' read two . A seasonal menu reflecting both American and Indian flavors started with a potato and eggplant salad made with White House-grown arugula and accompanied by an onion seed vinaigrette , according to the White House . Red lentil soup with fresh cheese followed , and then a choice of entrees -- roasted potato dumplings with tomato chutney , chick peas and okra for vegetarians , or green curry prawns , caramelized salsify and smoked collard greens . Dessert was pumpkin pie tart and pear tatin with whipped cream and caramel sauce . Each course was paired with a different wine , all of American vintage . The herbs and lettuces were harvested from the White House Kitchen Garden started by Michelle Obama , with honey from the White House beehive used to poach the dessert pears . Entertainment was by jazz vocalist Kurt Elling , Grammy and Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson , the National Symphony Orchestra directed by award-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch , Academy Award-winning Indian musician and composer A.R. Rahman , and The President 's Own United States Marine Band . `` It 's not every day you get to sing at the White House or even get invited to the White House , '' said Hudson , who said she would dress in a purple and black gown `` with the longest train I 've ever worn '' and sing standards including `` The Very Thought of You , '' `` What a Difference a Day Makes '' and `` Somewhere . '' Veterans of state dinners said the planning for such a trend-setting event is meticulous . `` It 's stressful , it 's very stressful , '' said Lisa Caputo , a press secretary for Hillary Clinton when she was first lady . `` What is the first lady going to wear ? What will be served ? How are the flower arrangements being done ? There 's a lot of protocol in terms of the serving line . '' Every unit in the White House weighs in on the dinner 's guest list , Caputo said , with a lot of thought going into who sits where . `` There 's particular protocol in terms of who is seated at the president 's table and the prime minister 's table , '' Caputo said . `` But do n't forget that an enormous amount of thought goes into that with the White House social office and the president and first lady in terms of who will round out the appropriate table , who will get along with who , what will be the dynamics of each table . `` Yes , of course it 's social , but , of course , there 's business done , '' Caputo said . The final list is ultimately decided by the president and the first lady , said Anita McBride , who was chief of staff for first lady Laura Bush . `` Of course , having friends and supporters is really important to share that kind of event , and it 's also important for all the other guests that are there and the Indian members of the delegation to meet these people that are a cross-section of America , '' McBride said . Amy Zantzinger , who was a social secretary for President George W. Bush , said all state dinners are different , and an administration 's first one is a big one . `` First they 'll bring the newness -- the newness of the whole day because it 's their first big dinner , '' she said . What makes a successful dinner ? It 's what you do n't plan , Zantzinger said . During a Reagan state dinner , Princess Diana and actor John Travolta took to the dance floor . `` What made it so special was that it was so absolutely spontaneous , '' she said . `` You had one of the most beautiful women in the world and one of the best dancers in the world come together in this incredible place , and I think the spontaneity of it and the combination of the two of them was perfection . '' CNN 's Suzanne Malveaux , Samantha Hayes , Kiran Chetry , Ed Hornick , Becky Brittain and Tom Cohen contributed to this report . | Who did Obama toast ? | 8:14 |
./cnn/stories/c62ea6aaf31a7f5b6a7c2eac7780c86f9baed786.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This year 's Forbes Rich List is notable for the absence of Bill Gates at the top . After 13 years as the world 's richest man , he has finally been toppled by his friend Warren Buffett who has an estimate fortune of $ 62bn . The Middle East 's richest man : Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud The list -- which is a run down of the 1,125 richest people on the planet -- estimates a person 's total net worth in US dollars based on the closing stock prices of the stock exchanges on which their company is listed . The Middle East 's richest man is Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud , the 51 year old Saudi who has an estimated net worth of $ 21bn . He ranks 19th in the list and is considered to be the most active and successful investor in the Middle East . He took his investment vehicle , Kingdom Holding , public on the Saudi stock exchange in July 2007 . The company contains investments in well-known global companies such as Citigroup and News Corp. . In the early 1990s , Alwaleed made a risky bet on Citigroup that paid off massively and has in recent years accounted for nearly half his fortune . Kuwaiti construction heir Nasser Al-Kharafi is the next richest in 46th place with an inherited fortune of $ 14bn . He heads M.A. Al-Kharafi & Sons , one of the largest diversified conglomerates in the Arab world . Americana , the company 's lucrative food division is extremely successful and has exclusive franchise rights in the region for Pizza Hut , TGI Fridays and other big global brands . Faiza , his sister was the first woman president of Kuwait University . Naguib Sawiris , the eldest son of telecoms billionaire and Orascom Telecom founder Onsi Sawiris ranks next in 60th place with a net worth of $ 12.7 bn . In addition to Orascom Telecom , his assets -- via European holding company Weather Investments -- include Italian phone company , Wind and leading Greek telecom companies Wind Hellas and Tellas . His brother , Nassef is in 68th place , with an estimated worth of $ 11bn and his father Onsi who serves as chairman of Orascom comes in at 96th place with $ 9bn . E-mail to a friend | Who is Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud ? | 51:57 |
./cnn/stories/16c4a27e42066259797d93d5db0239bce0a15f18.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Swedish wrestler who discarded his bronze medal in a protest during the presentation ceremony has been stripped of the award and disqualified from the tournament in Beijing . A disgruntled Abrahamian drops his bronze medal before leaving the arena during the presentation ceremony . The International Olympic Committee said it was also officially disqualifying Ara Abrahamian , 35 , from his event , Greco-Roman wrestling . Abrahamian was beaten in the 84-kilogram class by eventual gold medal winner Andrea Minguzzi of Italy . He complained that `` blatant errors in judging '' caused him to lose the match and said he felt that he deserved the gold . The Swede shouted at the referee before confronting the judges . During Thursday 's presentation ceremony , he took off his medal and left it in the center of the competition mat before walking off . The IOC said Abrahamian violated two rules of the Olympic charter , one that bans any sort of demonstrations and another that demands respect for all Olympic athletes . `` The awards ceremony is a highly symbolic ritual , acknowledged as such by all athletes and other participants , '' the IOC said . `` Any disruption by any athlete , in particular a medalist , is in itself an insult to the other athletes and to the Olympic Movement . It is also contrary to the spirit of fair play . '' Abrahamian never expressed regret or offered an apology , the IOC said . The international weightlifting federation was asked to consider further sanctions against him . His medal was the third stripped at the Beijing Games . On Friday , North Korean shooter Kim Jong Su had his silver and bronze medals taken away after failing a doping test . Also expelled for doping violations have been Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno and Vietnamese gymnast Thi Ngan Thuong Do . Abrahamian 's case is not the first of its kind . A weightlifter at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics was stripped of his bronze medal after rejecting it during the medal ceremony . Ibragim Samadov , competing in the light heavyweight category for the Unified Team of the former Soviet Union , was upset with his performance and refused to have the medal placed around his neck and only accepted it in his hand . He then put it down and walked off . Samadov later apologized , but the IOC upheld its decision to disqualify him , and he was later banned for life by the sport 's governing body . | What happened as a result of Swede Ara Abrahamian 's disqualification from the Olympics ? | 21:27 |
./cnn/stories/1b6aed605e905ed114a552280742e536804a69ae.story | WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama on Friday resumed -- with expanded legal protections -- the Bush administration 's controversial system of military trials for some Guantanamo Bay detainees . President Obama says the commissions are OK , `` provided that they are properly structured and administered . '' On the heels of Obama 's shift this week to block the release of photos showing prisoners allegedly being abused by U.S. personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan , the military commissions announcement further infuriated the president 's most ardent supporters while winning cautionary praise from some of his political foes . Obama said he supports the idea of the military commissions but opposes the version of the law that had been governing such trials in recent years : the Military Commissions Act put in place under the Bush administration in 2006 , but subsequently struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court . The president said military commissions `` are appropriate for trying enemies who violate the laws of war , provided that they are properly structured and administered . '' But , he said , the 2006 act `` failed to establish a legitimate legal framework and undermined our capability to ensure swift and certain justice against those detainees . '' He said he plans to enhance due process rights for detainees held at the U.S. facility in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , in order to improve the widely criticized approach created by his predecessor . Statements that have been obtained from detainees through interrogation and cruel treatment , such as waterboarding , will no longer be admitted as evidence before the commissions , Obama said , and hearsay evidence will be limited . The revised system also will give detainees greater latitude in selecting legal representation and afford basic protections to those who refuse to testify . Military commission judges also will be able to establish the jurisdiction of their own courts . `` These reforms will begin to restore the commissions as a legitimate forum for prosecution , while bringing them in line with the rule of law , '' Obama said . He said he plans to ask Congress to enact other reforms to the 2006 law . Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , applauded his former opponent . `` Today 's announcement is a step -- but only a step -- toward a comprehensive detainee policy that will deal with the detainees held at Guantanamo and elsewhere in a fashion that both accords with our values and protects our national security , '' McCain said in a written statement . But Obama 's announcement infuriated some of his core supporters -- with the revisions hardly calming the concerns of groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union . The ACLU chided the military commission decision as `` a striking blow to due process and the rule of law . '' `` These military commissions are inherently illegitimate , unconstitutional and incapable of delivering outcomes we can trust , '' said Anthony D. Romero , the group 's executive director . `` Tweaking the rules of these failed tribunals so that they provide ` more due process ' is absurd ; there is no such thing as ` due process light . ' '' he said . `` If the administration 's proposed rules really bring these proceedings in line with constitutional requirements , there is no reason not to use our tried and true justice system . If they do n't , these tribunals have no place in our democracy . '' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs countered that military commissions have a long history in the United States . `` First and foremost , the president of the United States is going to do what he believes is in the best security interest of the people of the United States , '' Gibbs told reporters . Obama suspended the military commissions by signing an executive order on his third day in office , the same day he signed an order to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo within a year and announced a 120-day review of the whole process . The review deadline is next week . Gibbs said he does not know where and how trials for alleged terrorists will unfold on American soil . Nor did he disclose how many suspects would face legal proceedings under the revised commissions . Three Guantanamo detainees ' cases have gone through the commission so far . The Bush administration established the military trial system after the U.S. military began capturing detainees in Afghanistan in late 2001 . The next year , it opened the Guantanamo facility , saying suspects were treated properly and received due process through the system . But legal organizations and human rights agencies have repeatedly challenged the system on grounds that detainees were mistreated . One lawyer representing a client at Guantanamo said closing the detention facility , which Obama is advocating , is a `` meaningless gesture '' if the military commissions continue . `` The military commissions are fundamentally flawed and ca n't be fixed , '' said Army Maj. Jon S. Jackson , a lawyer for Mustafa al-Hawsawi , one of five 9/11 defendants charged in the military commission process . Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , the self-confessed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks , is the most high-profile of those defendants . | what did Obama say | 102:152 |
./cnn/stories/75de6926e407b513d17bc842117d0b585ca9dfb0.story | -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While several high-profile actors and directors have rallied around Roman Polanski , not everyone in Hollywood believes he should be freed and forgiven . The case surrounding the arrest of director Roman Polanski has both supporters and critics . In the face of a petition signed by notables such as Woody Allen , Martin Scorsese and John Landis calling for the immediate release of Polanski following his detainment in Switzerland , a backlash is building against such support . `` I ca n't believe that Hollywood has separated itself so completely from American morality , '' said Paul Petersen , a former child actor and president of A Minor Consideration , which advocates on behalf of young performers . `` It is yet another case of Hollywood being out of sync with most of America . '' Polanski pleaded guilty in 1977 to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor , but fled the United States before he could be sentenced . In the years since , the director known for `` Chinatown '' and `` Rosemary 's Baby '' settled in France and avoided authorities until he was arrested Saturday while on his way to the Zurich Film Festival . In the aftermath of Polanski 's arrest last weekend , a number of performers -- including Penelope Cruz , Tilda Swinton and Monica Bellucci -- appear as supporters on a petition which states , `` Roman Polanski is a French citizen , a renown and international artist now facing extradition . This extradition , if it takes place , will be heavy in consequences and will take away his freedom . '' Polanski 's detention has stirred debate over whether he should be returned to the United States to face possible imprisonment . Supporters make note of his age , the years that have passed , his talent and the victim 's own assertion that pursuing the case opens fresh wounds for her as reasons the director should be left alone . But critics observe that Polanski 's supporters might be downplaying his crime . `` I do n't think a lot of people take the sexual assault of children very seriously at all , and it 's something we battle everyday , '' said Grier Weeks , executive director of Protect , a national organization to protect children . `` We say at Protect that we are the most bipartisan group in America because we 've got everyone from Hollywood liberals like Alison Arngrim -LSB- Nellie Oleson -RSB- from ` Little House on the Prairie ' to extremely conservative people . ... But I will say with the notable exception of a few people from Hollywood , we get blank stares from some of that crowd . '' Weeks pointed to the example of a discussion on ABC 's `` The View , '' in which panelist and actress Whoopi Goldberg made the comment that she did n't believe the original charges against Polanski were for `` rape-rape , '' as what he views as a pervasive attitude . `` I assume -LSB- Goldberg -RSB- regrets saying what she said , but she really did n't say anything that is not under the surface anyway , '' Weeks said . `` This is just the attitude , that children are property and crimes against them are not real crimes . '' Watch a discussion of about Polanski 's supporters '' Goldberg 's fellow panelist , Sherri Shepherd , said during the show that she believed Polanski should still be punished . On Twitter , she tweeted , `` Whew ... long day at ` The View ' ... two shows today ... hot debate over the Statutory Rapist Polanski . 45-year-old man plies a 13-yr-old w/drugs & Liquor and anally & orally penetrates her w/o her consent is a RAPIST . We hunt down 75-year-old Nazis . We must protect our children . '' Actress Kirstie Alley wrote on Twitter `` JUST FOR THE RECORD ... RAPE IS RAPE ... this is one HOLLYWOOD STAR who does not CELEBRATE or DEFEND Roman Polanski . . his ART did not RAPE her . '' `` The Biggest Loser '' trainer Jillian Michaels said `` If she 's -LSB- the victim -RSB- OK and feels that they are resolved then who are we to say '' referring to the now adult victim , Samantha Geimer . Despite that , Michaels said , `` If somebody drugged and raped my 13-year-old I 'd shoot them . '' Watch stars discuss Polanski 's arrest '' Terry O'Neill , president of the National Organization for Women , said it is understandable that Geimer would want to move on given what has occurred . `` I think that it 's deplorable that some celebrities , and I emphasis the word ` some , ' are supporting rape , supporting the destruction of the life of a 13-year-old girl , '' O'Neill said . `` You look at what happened to the victim in this case and how she was re-victimized over and over again . First by -LSB- Polanski -RSB- himself when he claimed it was consensual , then by his pals all powerful , wealthy celebrities who supported him , then by the media who characterized her as the little Lolita , the 13-year-old temptress . '' Petersen , who played son Jeff Stone on `` The Donna Reed Show , '' said he believes there are many in the industry who would like to speak up against the support Polanski has received . `` They are afraid of the Hollywood power structure that is tilted distinctly to the left and plays favorites , '' Petersen said . Thomas J. Reese , S.J. , a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University , wrote a piece for The Washington Post 's `` On Faith '' column titled `` Father Polanski Would Go to Jail . '' Reese said Hollywood might learn a lesson from the scandals involving pedophiles and the Catholic Church . `` I think that perhaps there is a sense of entitlement that comes with being a celebrity and a star and part of that whole industry where people are always fawning over them and idolizing them , '' Reese said . `` I think that kind of goes to your head and makes you think that you are special and above the law . The clergy used to think that at one time , inaccurately , and it 's just not a healthy attitude . '' On Wednesday , the BBC reported that the French government had dropped its public support for the release of Polanski stating that the director `` is neither above nor beneath the law . '' | What has circulated calling for his release ? | 48:62 |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.